title: Immunotoxicity of atrazine in Balb/c mice.
abstract: The present study was designed to investigate the immunotoxicity of atrazine (ATZ) in male Balb/c mice. ATZ (175, 87.5, and 43.75 mg/kg bw/day) was administered by gavage method for 28 days. The following indexes were determined in various groups of mice: body and organ weight; antibody aggregation of serum hemolysin; proliferative response of splenocytes to ConA; delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH); natural killer cell activity; clearance of neutral red and nitric oxide (NO) release from peritoneal macrophages; apostosis and necrosis of splenocytes and thymocytes; cytokine production; and serum lysozyme. Results showed that cell-mediated, humoral immunity, and non-specific immune function in the high-dose ATZ group were suppressed; NO release and interferon-γ(IFN-γ)/interleukin-4 (IL-4) were also significantly decreased in the high-dose group. In the medium-dose group, the proliferation response and IFN-γ production was significantly decreased. In the low-dose group, the proliferation response was significantly decreased. Serum lysozyme was decreased in the ATZ-treated groups. The percentage of early apoptosis in thymocytes was increased significantly in high- and medium-dose ATZ groups. In conclusion, ATZ elicited an inhibitory effect on cell-mediated immunity, humoral immunity, and non-specific immune function of mice.
authors: West China School of Public Health, Sichuan University, P. R. China.
authors: Jin Y
authors: JY
authors: Chen
authors: Yang
authors: Y
authors: Song
authors: Li S
authors: LS
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001280:Atrazine / Q000276:immunology* / Q000633:toxicity*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D006540:Herbicides / Q000276:immunology / Q000633:toxicity; D056724:Immunity, Humoral / Q000187:drug effects; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009113:Muramidase / Q000097:blood; D009336:Necrosis; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D060168:Thymocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D006540:Herbicides; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D009113:Muramidase; D001280:Atrazine