Role of decomposition products in sodium methyldithiocarbamate-induced immunotoxicity

Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health
D E KeilStephen B Pruett

Abstract

Sodium methyldithiocarbamate (SMD) is a widely used agricultural agent that causes immunological changes in B6C3F1 mice. The most prominent effects of SMD include a decrease in thymus weight and percentage of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes, an increase in spleen weight, an increase in the percentage of neutrophils in the blood, a decrease in the percentage of lymphocytes in the blood, and a decrease in natural killer (NK) cell activity in the spleen. The mechanism by which SMD causes these changes is unknown, and the relative importance of the parent compound and its decomposition products is not known. In addition, it is not known if these effects are unique to mice, or if other mammals are affected similarly. This prompted the present investigation of the major decomposition product of SMD, methylisothiocyanate (MITC), and two minor products, methylamine and carbon disulfide, in mice. Equimolar dosages of methylamine and carbon disulfide caused minimal immunological changes, and these changes were not characteristic of those noted for SMD. In contrast, MITC significantly decreased thymus weight and cellularity and changed peripheral white blood cell populations in a manner similar to that noted for an equimolar dosage of SMD. However, M...Continue Reading

Citations

Sep 24, 2013·Toxicological Sciences : an Official Journal of the Society of Toxicology·Xiaomin DengStephen B Pruett
Oct 30, 2008·Journal of Immunotoxicology·L Peyton MyersStephen B Pruett
Oct 17, 1998·Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis·M PelusoS Parodi

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