Urinary excretion of ethylenethiourea and kidney morphology in rats after continuous oral exposure to nabam or ethylenethiourea

Abstract

Nabam, an ethylenebisdithiocarbamate (EBDC), is an agricultural fungicide. Ethylenethiourea (ETU), widely used in the rubber industry, is a degradation and byproduct of metabolism and of storage and production of EBDCs. Kidney function and morphology, and urinary excretion of ETU, were studied in rats exposed to nabam or ETU in drinking water for 28 days. The concentrations of nabam in drinking water were 0, 50, 100 or 200 mg/l, and of ETU 0, 100, 200 or 300 mg/l. Both compounds decreased body weight gain but did not significantly affect urinary sodium, potassium, glucose, or protein excretion, or urinary osmolality. Urinary vasopressin was also unaltered after exposure to nabam or ETU. High doses of ETU resulted in ultrastructural alterations in epithelial cells of renal proximal tubuli. ETU was excreted in urine after exposure to both nabam and ETU. There seemed to be a threshold dose of ETU below which no ultrastructural alterations in kidney occurred.

Regulatory Aspects of Anticholinesterase Pesticides

“…In the occupational environment, exposure for most chemicals takes place through inhalation, and the importance of dermal exposure is not so great. However, with pesticides, in most cases, exposure by inhalation is less important than dermal exposure (Jauhiainen et al, 1992;Kangas et al, 1993;Klaassen, 2007;Kurttio et al, 1991Kurttio et al, , 1992Savolainen and Kalliokoski, 2001). However, there are also pesticides, especially insecticides, to which exposure in the occupational environment may also be remarkable via the inhalational route (Storm et al, 2000).…”