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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Citation:
Barone, S AND V C. Moser. LETTER TO THE EDITOR. , 2004.
Description:
Our paper entitled "The Effects of Perinatal Tebuconazole Exposure on Adult Neurological, Immunological, and Reproductive Function in Rats", which appeared in Toxicological Sciences 62:339-352, 2001, was part of a multidisciplinary project to evaluate long-term effects of developmental exposure to several different pesticides, and to compare those effects across multiple forms of toxicity (neuro-, immuno-, and reproductive toxicity). We reported that tebuconazole produced impaired cognition, neuropathology, and altered organ weights, whereas immune and reproductive function were not affected. Questions arose regarding the finding of a treatment-related increase in the number of dark staining neurons and cell loss. To address these questions, we convened a group of expert neuropathologists to re-examine the histological sections of brain from this study. Following this re-examination, we concluded that the dark staining neurons were not pyknotic cells but were artifacts related to fixation and handling, and not a direct result of treatment. Based on this new interpretation, we now withdraw all neuropathological conclusions in the paper, and their implications or relevance to any other findings. The neurobehavioral, immunological, and general toxicity findings of the paper stand unchanged.