The Biological Effects of Bifenthrin on T-cells and Neurons: A Comparison of Activity | ||||
Catrina: The International Journal of Environmental Sciences | ||||
Article 2, Volume 1, Issue 1, 2006, Page 9-14 PDF (313.63 K) | ||||
Document Type: Original Article | ||||
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Authors | ||||
A. Nandi1; D. Chandi1; C. Thurber1; L. DeLuca1; Stephen Pryor2; A. McLaughlin2; L. Gibson2; Josephine Bonventre1; K. Flynn1; Benjamin Weeks 1 | ||||
1Department of Biology, Adelphi University, One South Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530 | ||||
2Neuroscience Research Institute, State University of New York, College at Old Westbury, P.O. Box 210, Old Westbury, NY 11568 | ||||
Abstract | ||||
Pyrethroids are considered a less toxic class of pesticides and are therefore increasingly formulated for household use. In current study we compare the toxicity of the pyrethroid (bifenthrin) with the organochlorine (lindane) and the mitochondrial poison (rotenone) to mammalian T-cells and neurons. Cells were treated for twenty-four hours with various concentrations of pesticide and then assessed for morphology and measured for viability using trypan blue exclusion. Lindane and rotenone produced an LD50 of 500 μM and 500 nM, respectively, in T-cells and 5 μM and 250 nM, respectively, in neurons. Lindane and rotenone had a lowest observable effect level (LOEL) of 100 μM and 50 nM, respectively, in T-cells and 100 nM and 1 nM, respectively, in neurons. Significant toxicity was observed with lindane and rotenone, whereas bifenthrin did not reduce the viability of either cell type at concentrations as high as 1 mM. However, bifenthrin stimulated T-cell homotypic aggregation which is associated with cell activation. Further, bifenthrin inhibited the neurons from forming neurites. While these results support the claim that pyrethroids are less toxic than many other pesticides, they raise concerns that chronic exposure to pyrethroids could contribute to inflammation and hypersensitivity and also to developmental neurotoxicity and neurodegenerative diseases. | ||||
Keywords | ||||
Pyrethroids; bifenthrin; neurons; T-cells; neurite; toxicity | ||||
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