RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of deltamethrin on intracellular free Ca2+ concentration and apoptosis in rat neural cells. METHODS: Wister rats were randomly divided into 4 groups(3 treated groups and 1 control). Intracellular free Ca2+ concentration in rat neural cells was measured by using the fluorescent Ca2+ indicator Fura-2/AM. Apopotic rate of neural cells was measured by using FACS420 Flow Cytometer. RESULTS: Intracellular free Ca2+ concentration at 5 h after deltamethrin exposure [hippocampus: (389.94 +/- 43.64) nmol/L, cerebral cortex: (449.33 +/- 23.23) nmol/L], at 24 h[hippocampus: (340.47 +/- 32.36) nmol/L, cerebral cortex: (311.62 +/- 25.48) nmol/L] and at 48 h[hippocampus: (287.13 +/- 24.29) nmol/L, cerebral cortex: (346.55 +/- 36.87) nmol/L] were all higher than those of the control group[hippocampus: (203.24 +/- 18.53) nmol/L, cerebral cortex: (226.85 +/- 14.81) nmol/L, P < 0.01]; Apoptotic rate in neural cells 24 h and 48 h later [hippocampus: (8.45 +/- 1.02)%, (9.44 +/- 1.14)%, cerebral cortex: (7.90 +/- 0.49)%, (8.01 +/- 0.87)%] were also higher than those of the control group[hippocampus: (2.97 +/- 0.36)%, cerebral cortex: (3.50 +/- 0.48)%, P < 0.01)] and increased with time prolonged. CONCLUSION: Exposure to high dose of deltamethrin would interfere with intracellular free Ca2+ concentration and apoptotic rate in rat neural cells, suggesting that there may be certain relation between them.