Summary
The nerve excitability of median nerve as well as the urinary deltamethrin and its metabolite dibromovinyl-dimethyl-cyclopropane carboxylic acid (Br2A) were detected in 24 deltamethrin sprayers in an assessment of the exposure and effect of deltamethrin. Twenty-nine male, unexposed referents of the same age range were also selected. The urinary deltamethrin and its metabolite Br2A were detectable by GC and HPLC in the sprayers after exposure. The nerve excitability detected with an electromyograph and pairs of stimuli at variable intervals showed that there was a prolongation of supernormal period in median nerve of the exposed group after a 3-d spraying compared with that before spraying which became more significant 2 d after cessation of exposure. In the mean time, no change of supernormal period in the median nerve of reference group was found at the 3-d interval. Nearly half of the sprayers had a supernormal period prolonged by more than 4 ms after spraying, whereas nearly none of the reference group showed similar changes after repeated examinations. Although there was neither correlation between the nerve excitability changes and the urinary deltamethrin or Br2A excretion, nor was a case of acute deltamethrin poisoning diagnosed, the non invasive technique used for nerve excitability detection in this study seems to be valuable in studying deltamethrin toxicity on human.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chen S, Zhang Z, Sun J, Yao P, Wu Y, He F, Liu L, Li Q (1989) An epidemiological study on occupational acute pyrethroid poisoning in cotton farmer. Presented at the VII Int Conf Epidemiology in Occupational Health, Tokyo
Gilliatt RW, Willison RG (1963) The refractory and supernormal periods of the human median nerve. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiat 26:136–147
He F, Wang S, Liu L, Chen S, Zhang Z, Sun J (1989) Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of acute pyrethroid poisoning. Arch Toxicol 63:54–58
Le Quesne PM, Maxwell IC, Butterworth STG (1980) Transient facial sensory symptoms following exposure to synthetic pyrethroids: a clinical and electrophysiological assessment. Neurotoxicology 2:1–11
Parkin PJ, Le Quesne PM (1982) Effect of a synthetic pyrethroid deltamethrin on excitability changes following a nerve impulse. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiat 45:337–342
Takahashi M, Le Quesne PM (1982) The effects of the pyrethroids deltamethrin and cismethrin on nerve excitability in rats. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiat 45:1005–1011
Vijverberg HPM, Van den Bercken J (1982) Action of pyrethroid insecticides on the vertebrate nervous system. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 8:421–440
Wu Y, Gao X, Li C, Wang Y (1986) Determination of urinary deltamethrin and fenvalerate in human urine by gas chromatography. J Hyg Res 15:39–42 (Chinese)
Yao P, Li Y, Zhang X, He F (1989) Biological monitoring of deltamethrin metabolites in spraymen and one suicidal patient by HPLC. Presented at the VII Int Conf Epidemiology in Occupational Health, Tokyo, October 11–14, 1989
Zhang Z, Sun J, Chen S, Wu Y, He F (1988) Exposure levels and biological monitoring of pyrethroids in spraymen. Presented at the XII Asian Cord' Occupational Health, Bombay
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
He, F., Deng, H., Ji, X. et al. Changes of nerve excitability and urinary deltamethrin in sprayers. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 62, 587–590 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381112
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00381112