Exposures to
environmental pollutants are often not limited to a single chemical. Probabilities of exposure to two or more compounds are high. As information on toxic interactions between
metal and
pesticide are lacking, the present study was undertaken to find the toxic effect of a mixture of a
metal and a
pesticide.
Aluminium, a common
metal compound, and
acephate, an organophosphorous
pesticide, are two widely used chemicals known for their neurotoxic effects. To assess the toxic interaction of
aluminium and
acephate, acute toxicity study of
aluminium chloride,
acephate, and their combination was made. Male Wistar albino rats were dosed orally in a increasing geometric progressive doses of
aluminium chloride,
acephate, and their combination (1 part
aluminium:1 part
acephate) in distilled water. The median lethal oral dose of
aluminium chloride,
acephate, and their combination was found to be 3630 +/- 400, 2851 269, and 4074 +/- 388 mg/kg
body weight respectively. Log dose-response curve revealed the acute toxic effects of combination of
metal and
pesticide to be reduced, suggesting antagonistic action. Antagonistic action of the combination of compounds shows that
aluminium reduced the toxic effect of organophosphorous
pesticide acephate. It is of clinical interest to further explore the antagonistic action and determine whether
aluminium could be used to reduce the toxic effect produced by organophosphorous pesticides.