Effect of diet on dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate toxicity in rats.

Young male albino rats (120+/-5 g) were kept for 30 d on the following synthetic diets--High Protein Diet (HPD): 59% casein; Low Protein Diet (LPD): 5% casein; High Fat Diet (HFD): 51% fat; and Standard Diet (SD); 19% casein, 11% fat, and 60% sucrose. Composition of diet per se did not significantly affect plasma and RBC cholinesterase (ChE) activity, Mortality of animals on different diets, due to administration of DDVP (Vapona, dichlorovos) 50 mg/kg i.p. was: SD: 37%; HPD: 26.5%, LPD: 53%; and HFD: 44%. Plasma ChE inhibition after 24 h of DDVP administration (in surviving animals) was SD: 42%; HPD: 52%; LPD: 55%; and HFD: 47%. Erythrocyte ChE inhibition was 40% in SD, HPD, and HFD and 60% in the LPD rats. Five days following DDVP administration, plasma ChE was normal and erythrocyte ChE was still significantly increased and erythrocyte ChE was normal.