THE EFFECT OF PARATHION ON RAT LIVER AND KIDNEY CARBOXYLESTERASES

Abstract

Rats of different ages were fed a diet containing 10 p.p.m. parathion with or without vitamin A supplementation for various periods of time, and the effects on liver and kidney carboxylesterases were measured.Marked inhibition of carboxylesterases was observed shortly after the parathion diet was introduced. The degree of inhibition was not altered appreciably by continued feeding of the diet containing parathion. Young female rats showed some recovery of liver carboxylesterases on continued feeding of the parathion diet. After removal of vitamin A from the diet, the levels of liver carboxylesterases of male rats fed parathion increased appreciably.