[Toxicity of the pesticide nabam as a function of dietary protein content in the rat].

With the object of studying a possible toxical potentialization between a food pollutent and the diet compoundings, rats fed on a diet with variable protein amounts, were administered a pesticide belonging to the Dithiocarbamate family : Nabam. Animals have been fed for 28 days after they have been weaned with diets containing 0-3.5 - 9 - 26 and 81% proteins in casein form. DL50 is significantly lowered in rats fed 0 - 3,5 and 81% protein diets compared with DL50 estimations in rats normally fed. Toxical clinical signs are fundamentally the same ones in all rats of the six groups : stimulation followed by a depression of the central nervous system, severe inflammation of the gastro-intestinal tractus, significant renal necroses. The intertime between poisoning and death seems not to be influenced by the diet protein amounts and is only due to the Nabam dose.