Immunotoxic Effects of Anticholinesterases
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Immunotoxic
Effects of Anticholinesterases (Information From an Abstract)
Date:
Thu, 5 Sep 2002 09:42:15 -0400
From:
Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State of California, Department of Pesticide
Regulation
cc: Christine Whitman
whitman.christine@epa.gov
cc:
Brian J. Foster
bfoster@swlaw.com
Searched for < Trimethylphosphorothioate > at: http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov
This is one of the abstracts which came up. Malathion is a horribly
dangerous insecticide used to control the West Nile Virus mosquito.
Unfortunately, it may be destroying our immune system, as well as those of
other animals --leaving us all susceptible to infections, bacteria, viruses,
including the West Nile and worse, St. Louis encephalitis. ~Bunny Snow
________________________________________________
Immunotoxic Effects of Anticholinesterases
Authors:
Rodgers KE, Devens BH, Imamura T
Source: Clinical and Experimental Toxicology of Organophosphates and Carbamates, B.Ballantyne and T. C. Marrs, Editors; Butterworth-Heinemann, Ltd., Oxford, England, pages 211-222, 134 references, 1992
Abstract:
The immunotoxic effects of anticholinesterase (antiChE) agents were reviewed. The general characteristics of immunotoxicology were discussed, considering topics such as the mechanism of immune response generation, nonspecific immunity, the consequences of immunomodulatory processes such as immunostimulation and immunosuppression, and suggested assays for evaluating immunotoxicity. Epidemiological studies investigating the general toxic effects of organophosphates (OPs) have shown that they may also affect the immune system. Induction of allergic reactions following 3 to 4 months exposure, decreases in the number of rosette forming T-cells, increases in the number of B-cells, decreases in leukocyte phagocytic activity, and increases in susceptibility to colds and the number of subjective health complaints have been reported. The results of studies investigating the specific immunotoxic effects of parathion (56382) and malathion (121755) were discussed. Parathion, the most extensively studied OP, has been shown to be immunosuppressive in a number of in-vitro and in-vivo systems. Peroral treatment of mice infected with a cytomegalovirus with parathion caused a significant increase in mortality. In-vitro exposure of human peripheral blood leukocytes to methyl-parathion (298000) decreased their chemotactic activity. In-vivo studies with malathion have shown that it can either suppress or enhance immune responses depending on the route, magnitude, or frequency of administration. Studies of the effects of impurities in OP pesticides have shown that impurities such as O,O,S-trimethylphosphorothioate (152205) or O,O,O-trimethylphosphorothioate (152181) in malathion, acephate (30560191), fenitrothion (122145) and other pesticides can modulate immune responses. Carbamates such as carbaryl (63252) have been shown capable of suppressing immune function, modulating humoral immune responses, macrophage function, and hematologic parameters such as erythrocyte and platelet counts, and lowering resistance to parasitic, bacterial, and viral infections.
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