Immunotoxicity of the organochlorine pesticide methoxychlor in female ICR, BALB/c, and C3H/He mice

Abstract

Several types of pesticides, including organochlorines, are known to suppress or modulate immune responses. The present study evaluated the immunotoxicity of the organochlorine pesticide methoxychlor (MXC) in female BALB/c, C3H/He, and ICR mice. Mice were given oral MXC doses of 0, 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg each day for 7 consecutive days. On day 4, the mice also received an intravenous injection of sheep red blood cells (SRBC). The splenic plaque-forming cell (PFC) IgM response and the serum anti-SRBC IgM antibody titer were evaluated while splenic lymphocytes were counted by flow cytometry and the spleen underwent histopathological analysis. Significant decreases in IgM PFC responses were seen in BALB/c, C3H/He, and ICR mice that received MXC doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg. Similar changes in serum anti-SRBC IgM antibody titers occurred in three strain mice. Flow cytometric analysis revealed significantly decreased splenic T-cell (CD3+) populations in a dose dependent manner in BALB/c mice, and in the 300 mg/kg of MXC-treated group of C3H/He mice. Germinal center (GC) B-cell (CD19+PNA+) populations were significantly decreased in the 300 mg/kg of MXC-treated groups of all three mouse strains and in the 30 and 100 mg/kg of MXC-treated groups of BALB/c and C3H/He strain mice. Histopathological analysis revealed decreased cellularity of the periarteriolar lymphoid sheath (PALS; T-cell area) and decreased GC development in all three strains of mice treated with 300 mg/kg MXC. These results suggest that MXC has an immune-suppressive effect in mice, and that our protocol may be useful for rapidly detecting immunosuppression induced by environmental chemicals.

Modulation of macrophage functionality induced in vitro by chlorpyrifos and carbendazim pesticides

“…While previous studies reported that pesticides could affect immunity through different mechanisms (Badesha et al 1995;Li et al 2002;Li 2007), immune suppression/dysregulation is a major mechanism by which pesticides exert their immunomodulatory activity, affect immunocompetence and consequently increase host susceptibility to diseases and an array of immune disorders (Hayashi et al 2013). Although CPF and CBZ belong to two different families (organophosphates vs. carbamates), they each act as potent immunosuppressants in vitro.…”

“…Therefore, humans and animals are constantly exposed either accidentally or professionally to these biologically active molecules. Although, the widespread use of pesticides provides great benefits to optimize agricultural productivity for the growing world population, their ubiquitous presence constitutes an adverse health risk for human and animals (Hayashi et al 2013). Indeed, it is widely accepted that, pesticides represent a major public health problem worldwide because of their deleterious pronounced effects on humans and animals (de Souza et al 2011;Mostafalou & Abdollahi 2013).…”

In vivoassessment of respiratory burst inhibition by xenobiotic exposure using larval zebrafish

“…Previous studies have shown that methoxychlor is able to inhibit antibody production in rodent models (Chapin et al 1997;Hayashi et al 2013), indicating potential toxicity to the adaptive immune system. However, in the zebrafish RBA, methoxychlor inhibited the respiratory burst, indicating this agent also impacts innate immunity.…”

N‐acetylcysteine reduced the immunotoxicity effects induced in vitro by azoxystrobin and iprodione fungicides in mice

“…Therefore, human and animal were constantly exposed to their adverse risk. Although, fungicides are designed to play beneficial role in enhancing agricultural products and controlling infectious and vector diseases, they acted as potent mutagenic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic compounds on animal and human 4,5 …”