Topical exposure to chlordane reduces the contact hypersensitivity response to oxazolone in BALB/c mice

• Published in: Toxicology letters Vol. 81; no. 2; pp. 205 - 211
• Main Authors: Blaylock, Benny L., Newsom, Kenneth K., Holladay, Steven D., Shipp, Bryan K., Bartow, Todd A., Mehendale, Harihara M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 15.11.1995; Amsterdam Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Administration, Topical; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cellular immunity; Chlordan - administration & dosage; Chlordan - toxicity; Chlordane; Contact hypersensitivity; Dermatitis, Contact - immunology; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ear, External - pathology; Edema - chemically induced; Female; Immunity, Cellular - drug effects; Immunotoxicity; Insecticides - administration & dosage; Insecticides - toxicity; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Oxazolone - toxicity; Pesticides, fertilizers and other agrochemicals toxicology; Pregnancy; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; Random Allocation; Toxicology; Cellular immunity; Chlordane; Immunotoxicity; Contact hypersensitivity; Immunopathology; Insecticide; Immune response; Toxicity; Rodentia; Pesticides; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Organochlorine compounds; Animal; Topical administration
• ISSN: 0378-4274; 1879-3169
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-4274(95)03436-6

Previous studies have shown that prenatal exposure to the organochlorine pesticide chlordane significantly decreases the ear swelling response to the contact allergen oxazolone in BALB/c mice. Alterations of macrophage function in the efferent arm of the contact hypersensitivity response have also been reported. In the current study, chlordane was applied topically and the effects of oxazolone-induced contact hypersensitivity were determined. Initially, the reduction in oxazolone-induced ear swelling in topically-exposed female BALB/c mice was compared to 30-day-old BALB/c female mice exposed prenatally to chlordane. Prenatal chlordane exposure induced a 36% reduction in ear swelling compared to a 60% reduction following topical treatment at the challenge phase. Topically-applied chlordane also reduced the oxazolone-induced ear swelling by 40% when applied at sensitization. When applied at both sensitization and challenge, ear swelling was reduced by 71%. In a time-course study, it was determined that chlordane must be applied at the time of sensitization, challenge or both or within 1 h post-challenge to significantly reduce ear swelling. A dose-response study showed that the lowest concentration of chlordane resulting in a significantly reduced ear swelling response was 20 μg per ear.