Immunotoxicity effects of carbaryl in vivo and in vitro

• Carbaryl is a potent pesticide for controlling pests in agricultural use.
• Exposure with carbaryl in rats significantly reduced both Thymus and Spleen weight.
• Carbaryl significantly suppressed the functions of lymphocyte and macrophage.
• Carbaryl polarized immune balance to Th2 by reducing of IFN-γ and increasing of IL-4.
• Carbaryl had immunotoxicity effect.

Carbaryl is a pesticide for controlling pests in agricultural industry. To determine of immunotoxicity effects of carbaryl, rats were exposure with carbaryl for 28 days. The lymphoid organ weight, lymphocyte proliferation, IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-1β and TNF-α cytokines level were measured, respectively. Exposure with carbaryl significantly reduced both thymus and spleen weight and also suppressed lymphocyte proliferation. In addition, carbaryl significantly decreased IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-1β and TNF-α and also increased IL-4, IL-10 cytokines. These findings suggest that exposure to carbaryl can induce immunotoxicity effects on lymphoid organ weight, suppresses the functions of lymphocyte and macrophage, Th2 polarization in Th1/Th2 balance by reducing of IFN-γ and increasing of IL-4 and IL-10 cytokines. Therefore, carbaryl can contribute to the development of allergic, autoimmune, cancer or infection diseases through immunotoxicity effects and unbalancing of Th1/Th2 immune response however, further study is necessary.