1Assistant Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar-263145, Uttarakhand, India
2Professor, Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar-263145, Uttarakhand, India
3Professor, Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar-263145, Uttarakhand, India
Pesticide hazards have been amplified by the sharp rise in their agricultural, industrial and domestic use. Though there is considerable contribution of pesticides invarious agriculture, domestic and industrial applications. However, continuous exposure of pesticides even at low dose levels can exert adverse effects on mammalian immune system. Dimethoate is an insecticide and acaricide of moderate mammalian toxicity which is used in housefly control and against a broad range of agricultural insect and mite pests. Present communication reports dimethoate induced immunotoxic effects due to enhanced oxidative stress and down regulation of interleukin levels in avian lymphocyte cell culture system employing lymphocyte proliferation assay, cytokine assay and oxidative stress assay. There was a marked reduction in B and T cells proliferation in avian lymphocytes due to the exposure of thousand times dilution of No Observable Effect Level (NOEL/103) dose of dimethoate. Cytokine assay revealed significant reduction in IL1 and IL2 levels. There was a significant increase in oxidative stress in dimethoate treated cells in comparison to controls cells as revealed by nitric oxide estimation. Thus, from our findings it is revealed that in vitro exposure of low dose of dimethoate induces significant immunotoxic effects and higher oxidative stress in avian lymphocytes.
Dimethoate, immunotoxicity, oxidative stress, cytokines, chicken lymphocytes
