Rapid in vitro screening assay for immunotoxic effects of organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides on the generation of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses

There has been an increasing need for rapid and easily interpreted techniques for the screening of possible immunotoxicants. Besides the obvious detrimental effects of exposure to immunosuppressive agents, the modulation of the immune system which results from exposure to these toxicants may be a sensitive index to the toxicologic effects of such agents. Other researchers have proposed assays to screen the effect of in vitro treatment with immunotoxicants on mitogenic and humoral immune responses. In this report, we have described an in vitro technique for screening the effect of immunotoxicants, in the presence and absence of a NADPH fortified liver postmitochondrial supernatant (S-9) from Arochlor 1254-treated rat, on another aspect of the mammalian immune system, the generation of a T-cell-mediated cytolytic (CTL) response. This enzyme system altered the effect of organophosphorus compounds on the generation of a CTL response. Malathion and fenitrothion were no longer suppressive following this pretreatment; however, ethyl and methyl parathion and fenthion were only partially detoxified. In contrast, the S-9 enzyme system did not alter the effect of carbamate pesticides, carbaryl and carbofuran, on the generation of CTL responses. This report describes the effects of these seven organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides on the generation of the CTL response. In addition, some of the in vivo data published on the immunomodulatory effects of these compounds were collated from the literature and a correlation between in vitro and in vivo studies was discussed.