FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-63/16

Title and Subtitle: Mechanisms of action of the insecticide endrin

Report Date: August 1963

Authors: Emerson TE, Brake CM, Hinshaw LB

Abstract: Cardiovascular effects of endrin insecticide are obscure. Experiments to investigate this phenomenon were carried out on dogs and suggested mechanisms of actions have been proposed. Results show that acute administration of endrin produces bradycardia, hypertension, copious salivation, tonic-clonic convulsions, increased body temperature, leukocytosis, hemoconcentrations and decreased blood pH.

Cerebral venous pressure and cerebrospinal fluid pressure elevations are also prominent features of endrin poisoning. Although most of these effects appear to be caused by endrin acting directly on the central nervous system some may result secondarily from altered cerebral hemodynamics..

Key Words: insecticides, toxicology, hemodynamics, hematology

No. of Pages: 19