Biomaterial Database

Neurotoxicity of the pesticidal carbamates. 1982

D B Miller

The carbamates, stabilized derivatives of carbamic acid, are potent biological agents used extensively in applications ranging from agriculture to medicine and industry. This review covers the two major classes of pesticidal carbamates: (1) cholinesterase-inhibiting carbamates which include monomethyl- and dimethylcarbamates (used primarily as insecticides); and (2) non-cholinesterase inhibiting, sulfur containing carbamates, the dithiocarbamates (used primarily as fungicides and herbicides). The dithiocarbamates include four major classes; (a) methyldithiocarbamates, (b) dimethyldithiocarbamates, (c) diethyldithio carbamates, (d) ethylenebisdithiocarbamates. For the purposes of this review neurotoxicity is defined as any unwanted change in the functional status of the organism which can be characterized in terms of behavioral, neurochemical, electrophysiological, or neuropathological indices. Neurotoxicity associated with methyl- and dimethylcarbamates has been characterized in terms of their reversible cholinesterase-inhibiting properties. The dithiocarbamates can have neurotoxic effects. However, a complete characterization of the neurotoxicity of these compounds has not been attempted. The neurotoxic actions of the dithiocarbamates may be related to their metal-chelating and enzyme-inhibiting properties.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007306	Insecticides	Pesticides designed to control insects that are harmful to man. The insects may be directly harmful, as those acting as disease vectors, or indirectly harmful, as destroyers of crops, food products, or textile fabrics.	Insecticide
D009422	Nervous System Diseases	Diseases of the central and peripheral nervous system. This includes disorders of the brain, spinal cord, cranial nerves, peripheral nerves, nerve roots, autonomic nervous system, neuromuscular junction, and muscle.	Neurologic Disorders,Nervous System Disorders,Neurological Disorders,Disease, Nervous System,Diseases, Nervous System,Disorder, Nervous System,Disorder, Neurologic,Disorder, Neurological,Disorders, Nervous System,Disorders, Neurologic,Disorders, Neurological,Nervous System Disease,Nervous System Disorder,Neurologic Disorder,Neurological Disorder
D002800	Cholinesterase Inhibitors	Drugs that inhibit cholinesterases. The neurotransmitter ACETYLCHOLINE is rapidly hydrolyzed, and thereby inactivated, by cholinesterases. When cholinesterases are inhibited, the action of endogenously released acetylcholine at cholinergic synapses is potentiated. Cholinesterase inhibitors are widely used clinically for their potentiation of cholinergic inputs to the gastrointestinal tract and urinary bladder, the eye, and skeletal muscles; they are also used for their effects on the heart and the central nervous system.	Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor,Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors,Anti-Cholinesterase,Anticholinesterase,Anticholinesterase Agent,Anticholinesterase Agents,Anticholinesterase Drug,Cholinesterase Inhibitor,Anti-Cholinesterases,Anticholinesterase Drugs,Anticholinesterases,Cholinesterase Inhibitors, Irreversible,Cholinesterase Inhibitors, Reversible,Agent, Anticholinesterase,Agents, Anticholinesterase,Anti Cholinesterase,Anti Cholinesterases,Drug, Anticholinesterase,Drugs, Anticholinesterase,Inhibitor, Acetylcholinesterase,Inhibitor, Cholinesterase,Inhibitors, Acetylcholinesterase,Inhibitors, Cholinesterase,Inhibitors, Irreversible Cholinesterase,Inhibitors, Reversible Cholinesterase,Irreversible Cholinesterase Inhibitors,Reversible Cholinesterase Inhibitors
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000375	Aging	The gradual irreversible changes in structure and function of an organism that occur as a result of the passage of time.	Senescence,Aging, Biological,Biological Aging
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001522	Behavior, Animal	The observable response an animal makes to any situation.	Autotomy Animal,Animal Behavior,Animal Behaviors
D013045	Species Specificity	The restriction of a characteristic behavior, anatomical structure or physical system, such as immune response; metabolic response, or gene or gene variant to the members of one species. It refers to that property which differentiates one species from another but it is also used for phylogenetic levels higher or lower than the species.	Species Specificities,Specificities, Species,Specificity, Species
D013859	Thiocarbamates	Carbamates in which the -CO- group has been replaced by a -CS- group.	Thiocarbamate