You are here:
INVESTIGATION OF PERINATAL EXPOSURE TO ENDOCRINE-ACTIVE PESTICIDES AND SUBSEQUENT EFFECTS ON IMMUNOCOMPETENCE
Impact/Purpose:
The main objective of this project is to determine whether exposure to endocrine disrupting pesticides during immune system development and maturation alters immunocompetence. If exposure causes immunotoxicity, subsequent studies will determine NOEL and LOAEL values and compare these to known or suspected human exposure levels. The severity, persistence, and mechanism behind observed immunotoxic effects will also be addressed. Furthermore, the potential biological significance of altered immune function will be evaluated by measuring resistance to infectious agents or tumor cell challenge.
Description:
This project addresses the issue of immune system dysregulation by endocrine-active xenobiotics when exposure occurs during immune system development. Elevated levels of pesticides have been documented in soil and household dust samples of families living or working on farms where pesticides are used, and at least one study in mice reported that exposure to a mixture of atrazine, aldicarb, and nitrate at levels close to those found in groundwater caused immunosuppression (decreased antibody production), endocrine system effects (changes in thyroid hormone levels) and neurobehavioral effects (increased aggression). Immunosuppression in laboratory animals has been associated with various classes of xenobiotics, including pesticides, particularly when exposure occurs during development of the immune system suggesting that altered immune function in humans may be a consequence of pesticide exposure during the in utero and neonatal periods. Some of the same pesticides have also been shown to have endocrine disrupting activity and to adversely affect the central nervous system. Development and homeostasis of the immune system are strongly influenced by products of the endocrine and central nervous systems; as such, pesticide-induced alteration of endocrine or central nervous system function may be the basis for at least a portion of the immunotoxic effects of these pesticides. This study will determine whether exposure to endocrine disrupting pesticides during immune system development and maturation alters immunocompetence. If exposure causes immunotoxicity, subsequent studies will determine NOEL and LOAEL values and compare these to known or suspected human exposure levels. The severity, persistence, and mechanism behind observed immunotoxic effects will also be addressed. Furthermore, the potential biological significance of altered immune function will be evaluated by measuring resistance to infectious agents or tumor cell challenge.