Acute toxicity of aluminium chloride, acephate, and their coexposure in male Wistar rat.

Exposures to environmental pollutants are often not limited to a single chemical. Probabilities of exposure to two or more compounds are high. As information on toxic interactions between metal and pesticide are lacking, the present study was undertaken to find the toxic effect of a mixture of a metal and a pesticide. Aluminium, a common metal compound, and acephate, an organophosphorous pesticide, are two widely used chemicals known for their neurotoxic effects. To assess the toxic interaction of aluminium and acephate, acute toxicity study of aluminium chloride, acephate, and their combination was made. Male Wistar albino rats were dosed orally in a increasing geometric progressive doses of aluminium chloride, acephate, and their combination (1 part aluminium:1 part acephate) in distilled water. The median lethal oral dose of aluminium chloride, acephate, and their combination was found to be 3630 +/- 400, 2851 269, and 4074 +/- 388 mg/kg body weight respectively. Log dose-response curve revealed the acute toxic effects of combination of metal and pesticide to be reduced, suggesting antagonistic action. Antagonistic action of the combination of compounds shows that aluminium reduced the toxic effect of organophosphorous pesticide acephate. It is of clinical interest to further explore the antagonistic action and determine whether aluminium could be used to reduce the toxic effect produced by organophosphorous pesticides.