CARDIAC ANALYSIS OF RATS SUBMITTED TO CHRONIC EXPOSURE OF THE HERBICIDE DICHLOROPHENOXYACETIC ACID (2,4-D)

Abstract

One of the most commonly used herbicides in Brazil during the sugar cane harvest is dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). It is known that ingestion of this herbicide can cause cardiovascular damage. The objective of this study was to evaluate the oral use of 2,4-D on the heart of rats submitted to chronic exposure, using anatomical parameters and CKMB dosage. 30 male Wistar albino rats were divided into 3 groups: GCO (n=10), GBCO (n=10), and GACO (n=10). The animal feed was exposed to 2,4-D for 15 minutes/day and offered to the animals for 6 months. After this period, the animals were euthanized, the hearts dissected and weighed: atrium, left and right ventricle, the length of the tibia was used as the normalizer. Blood was collected through cardiac puncture for CKMB dosage. The results did not indicate atrial hypertrophy, right ventricular or left ventricular, or an increase in CKMB in the blood. We conclude that 2,4-D did not promote anatomical structural alterations or cardiac injury at the concentration evaluated.