Evaluation of pesticide effects on humoral response to sheep erythrocytes and mouse hepatitis virus 3 by immunosorbent analysis

Effect of selected organochlorine, organophosphorus, and carbamate pesticides on the humoral immune IgM response was examined upon immunization of inbred C57B1/6 mice with neutral, polyvalent, T-dependent sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) and T-independent lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In addition, a pathogenic antigen, mouse hepatitis virus 3 (MHV3) was used for determination for the interaction of selected pesticides on the primary IgG immune response in a model of viral infection, of the genetically resistant A/J mouse strain. Single, sublethal doses of dieldrin, carbofuran, and matacil induced a marked immunosuppression of the humoral responses to both neutral and pathogenic antigens. The data showed that single, sublethal doses (0.4 ≤ LD 50 ≤ 0.6) of dieldrin, carbofuran, and matacil inhibited the number of SRBC-primed cells without any direct cytotoxic effect on the activated plasmocyte, as the titer of specific antibody measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) per activated cell, was constant. In contrast, exposure to malathion at 10–14 days prior to the assay increased the number of plaque-forming cells (PFC) and the anti-SRBC IgM and anti-MHV3 IgG antibody titer, suggesting therefore an increase in the humoral response to neutral and pathogenic antigens in C57B1/6 and A/J mice. Immunomodulation of the humoral IgM response by selected pesticides was shown to take place at a stage prior to antibody secretion from the activated cell, as the ELISA/PFC index was similar to the control value. The data obtained for dieldrin-induced inhibition of the humoral response to SRBC and LPS antigens suggest a mechanism of immunosuppression common for both T-dependent and T-independent antigens. Good correlations were obtained for the immunomodulatory effects of selected pesticides, as measured by PFC and ELISA, which encourages support for the latter technique in the immunotoxicological screening of pesticides.