R.N. Clarke M. A. Ottinger Barnett A. Rattner 1986 <p>1. To examine the effects of parathion on basal plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) concentration, male Japanese quail (<i>Coturnix japonica</i>) were orally intubated with 0, 5 or 10 mg/kg parathion and sacrificed after 4, 8 and 24 hr.</p><p>2. At the 5 mg/kg dose, plasma LH levels were reduced at 4 and 8 hr, but returned to control values by 24 hr. Brain acetylcholinesterase activity was substantially reduced by 10 mg/kg parathion (52, 75 and 37% inhibition at 4, 8 and 24 hr, respectively) and plasma LH concentration remained depressed through the 24-hr period.</p><p>3. These findings suggest that the organophosphorus insecticide parathion may alter plasma LH concentration in a manner which might impair reproductive activity, and provide indirect evidence for a cholinergic component in the regulation of LH secretion in quail.</p> application/pdf 10.1016/0742-8413(86)90153-2 en Elsevier Depression of plasma luteinizing hormone concentration in quail by the anticholinesterase insecticide parathion article