Chlorpyrifos induces apoptosis in human T cells

It was found previously that organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) significantly inhibited cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity. To explore the mechanism of OP-induced inhibition of CTL activity, the present study investigated whether OPs can induce cell death/apoptosis in T cells. Jurkat human T cells were treated with chlorpyrifos at 0–100 ppm for 2, 4, and 6 h at 37 °C in vitro. It was found that chlorpyrifos induced cell death of Jurkat human T cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, as shown by MTT and LDH assays. Then, it was investigated if chlorpyrifos-induced cell death consisted of apoptosis, as determined by analysis of Annexin-V staining and the intracellular level of active caspase-3 by flow cytometry, and DNA fragmentation analysis. It was found that chlorpyrifos induces apoptosis in Jurkat T cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, as determined by analysis of Annexin-V staining. DNA fragmentation was detected when cells were treated with 50 or 100 ppm chlorpyrifos for 4 and 6 h. Chlorpyrifos also induced an increase in intracellular active caspase-3 in Jurkat T cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and a caspase-3 inhibitor, Z-DEVD-FMK, significantly inhibited chlorpyrifos-induced apoptosis. These findings indicate that chlorpyrifos can induce apoptosis in human Jurkat T cell cells, and this effect is partially mediated by the activation of intracellular caspase-3.