Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar-263 145, (Uttaranchal), India.
Immunotoxicity of butachlor was evaluated following its administration at subclinical dietary levels of 0, 200 and 400 ppm for 20 weeks in cockerels by examining humoral and cellular immune response. Antibody titers against bovine serum albumin (BSA Fraction V) by ELISA for humoral response and delayed type skin hypersensitivity test (DTH), lymphocyte stimulation to mitogen concanavalin A (Con A) and macrophage function test (MFT) were measured for cellular immune response. A significant (P < 0.01) suppression in antibody titers and LST values were found in cockerels fed on 400 ppm butachlor for 20 weeks butachlor also significantly (P < 0.01) reduced the metabolic activity of macrophage and DTH response (P < 0.05) in cockerels of higher dose group. It is concluded from the study that butachlor causes suppression of humoral and cellular immune response following 20 weeks dietary feeding of butachlor at subclinical dose levels (400 ppm) in cockerels.
Butachlor, Immunosuppression, Cockerels, Immunotoxicity
