Medical Journal of The Islamic Republic of Iran (MJIRI)

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Paraquat (PQ) is a widely used herbicide. However, a large number of cases of accidental or suicidal poisoning from PQ has been reported. Membrane damage induced by lipid peroxidation, inactivation of protein or damage to DNA by radical formation have been suggested as toxicity mechanisms of PQ. In the present work, the effects of atropine, propranolol, procainamide and dipyridamole on PQ-induced intoxication have been studied. Oroups of male albino mice were used under standard conditions. All the drugs were injected intraperitoneally in different doses. The results indicated that administration of PQ (40 mg/kg, i.p.) increased the death rate of animals (77%) during 3 days, whereas a dose of 20 mg/kg of PQ only decreased the lung tissue total protein and glutathione (OS H) content. This poison also produced serious histopathologic changes in lung tissue. Administration of propranolol ( 10 and 20 mg/kg), procainamide (20 and 40 mg/kg), dipyridamole (30 and 60 Mg/kg) and atropine (5 and 10 mg/kg) decreased the PQ (40 mg/kg)-induced mortality rate in the pre- or post-treatment regimens. These drugs were also effective in reversing the PQ-induced alteration in the lung tissue protein and OSH content, however the pathological findings attenuated in the treated animals. Although the exact mechanism of these drugs against paraquat-toxicity in mice is still unknown, it appears that some of the drugs used may be effective in reversing PQ-induced poisoning in mice and possibly their effects are related to the inhibition of membrane lipid peroxidation via different mechanisms.

Keywords: Paraquat, atropine, propranolol, procainamide, dipyridamole, mice

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