title: Dieldrin initiates apoptosis in rat thymocytes.
abstract: In vitro incubation for 6 hr to pesticide dieldrin resulted in a dose-dependent decrease of cell viability comparable to that of dexamethasone. In vivo experiments also demonstrated that dieldrin administration induced a dose-dependent thymic atrophy which appeared to be mediated by endogenous corticosteroids. Agarose gel electrophorosis analysis, revealed the generation of typical apoptotic oligosomal DNA fragmentation in presence of dieldrin. However, in response to high concentrations of pesticide, cells seemed to undergo necrosis pathway. Thus, it may be concluded that dieldrin induced apoptosis in rat thymocytes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Sciences Faculty, 7021 Bizerta Tunisia.
authors.forename: Dorsaf
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hallegue
authors.forename: Khemais
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ben Rhouma
authors.forename: Raja
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Krichah
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakly
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004026:Dieldrin / Q000633:toxicity*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D005260:Female; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D007306:Insecticides; D004026:Dieldrin