CHARACTERIZATION OF THE TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AMINOCARB ON RATS: HEMATOLOGICAL, BIOCHEMICAL, AND HISTOLOGICAL ANALYSES Elsa Dias, Simone Morais, Elmano Ramalheira, Maria Lourdes Pereira Aminocarb is a widely applied carbamate insecticide with action of controlling pests such as Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. In this study, subchronic effects on Wistar rats were inves-tigated using hematological, biochemical, and histological techniques. Rats were exposed orally at sublethal levels of 10, 20, or 40 mg/kg body weight (groups A, B, and C, respec-tively) for 14 d. Hematological results revealed no statistical differences after 1 d of exposure but significant reduction in white blood cells detected after 7 d of exposure in group C, as well as, in all treated groups after 14 d of exposure. Biochemical data showed a decrease of acetylcholinesterase activity in all groups after 1 d of exposure with a return to normal after 7 and 14 d. Significant increase in alkaline phosphatase activity of rats exposed to aminocarb was noted after 7 d of treatment. The levels of triglycerides were also significantly decreased. The present investigation also showed a significant increase in content of serum urea and creatinine in animals from group A (14 d), and from groups B and C (7 and 14 d). Histological results demonstrated hemorrhagic focus on hepatic and renal parenchyma in all exposed groups. Taken together, the attained results were dose dependent and indicated adverse effects of aminocarb on hepatic and renal functions, as well as on immune responsiveness at sublethal tested doses. Carbamate compounds are used as pesti- cides on a large scale worldwide. Carbamate pesticides play an important role in high agriculture productivity (Dyk and Pletschke, 2011); particularly in developing countries, these pesticides are systematically and increas- ingly applied as prophylactic measures due to their beneficial effects on yield (Oliveira et al., 2013; Schwarzenbach et al., 2006). Carbamates include a broad spectrum of insec- ticides widely used as acaricides, mollusci- cides, nematocides, and helmithicides, which act on the central nervous system by inhibit- ing the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) (Ecobichon, 2001). The toxicity of these com- pounds, however, is not always restricted to the target pest organism but also affects mammals (Caldas et al., 2011; Jensen, et al., 2009). Various carbamate compounds have been reported to produce biochemical changes in different animal species (Almasiova et al., 2012; AL-Shinnawy, 2008; Moser et al., 2010; Satpal and Punia, 2010). The adverse effects of these compounds were reported in both humans and animals, including on renal, hepatic, neuro- logical, reproductive, immune, and metabolic functions (Dias et al., 2013; Yang and Tiffany- Castiglioni, 2008). Inhibition of AChE leads to an accumulation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine at the nervous terminal after acute exposure, with the potential to alter neurological development in humans (Caldas et al., 2011; Yang and Tiffany-Castiglioni, 2008). Therefore, carbamates are considered