State Medical University of Bashkiriya, Ufa, Russia
Russ. J. Immunol. 1997, December 15, 2 (3-4), 183-190.
Phenoxyherbicides are widely used as agricultural fertilizers and reported to be of high toxicity for agricultural workers and farmers. We investigated functions and viability of peritoneal macrophages in rats with phenoxyherbicide, namely 2,4-dichlorphenoxyacetic acid daily injected at doses of 2.0 and 20.0 mg/kg that after 1 month of injections totally constituted relatively 1/20 and 1/2 of the drug LD50. Low doses of phenoxyiherbicide and long period of its injections were defined to elaborate a model, which matched the real conditions of phenoxyherbicide exposure. 2,4-dichlorphenoxyacetic acid dramatically altered macrophage phagocytosis of latex particles, Fc-receptor-related reactions and macrophage ability to present antigens. In the contrary, 2,4-dichlorphenoxyacetic acid significantly activated adhesion and NADPH-oxydase system of macrophages. Additionally, 2,4-dichlorphenoxyacetic acid did not affect macrophage viability over the whole period of injections. We suppose that alteration of macrophage functions by phenoxyherbicides (activation of ones and oppression of others) may be a key mechanism, which implements development of immunodeficiency in people exposed to phenoxyherbicides.