EFFECTS OF CHLORPYRIFOS TOXCITY ON ORGAN BODY WEIGHT AND HAEMATOLOGICAL CONTENTS IN COMMON MALE BROWN RAT, RATTUS NORVEGICUS

Chlorpyrifos is moderately toxic to mice and rat. Pesticide exposures cause disorders varying from straight forward topical irritant reactions, to complex systemic illness. These esters have the potential to produce several forms of toxicity. Chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide of phosphorothioate group was orally administered to male rats at the doses leval of 3, 6 and 9 mg kg' for 90 days. Animals exposed to high dose (9 mg kg') showed signs of toxicity including piloerection, diarrhoea, nose and eye bleeding, reduced body weight and till death of animals. Organ weight ratio of different vital organs did not show any change except increase in adrenal weight and decrease in the weight of testes in animals of high dose (9 mg kg"). Microscopic examination of different tissues of male rats showed minor histo-pathological changes in liver, Kidney and Spleen. There was decrease in red blood cell (RBC) counts and levels of hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit (HCT) with increase in white blood cell counts (WBC). From the above mentioned findings, it is suggested that chlorpyrifos at 9mg/kg" dose for 90 days has caused toxicological changes on physiology in albino rats.