• Toxicological Research
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.205-211
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• 2004

Concern that some chemicals in our environment may affect human health by disrupt-ing normal endocrine function has prompted a research on interactions of environmental contaminants with steroid hormone receptor. Toxaphene and chlordane are among the 12 persistent organic pollutants identified by the United Nations Environment Programme as requiring urgent attention. We compared the estrogenic activity of two organochlorine pesticides, toxaphene and chlordane, at estrogen receptor a (ER$\alpha$) and estrogen receptor $\beta$ (ER$\beta$). Human hepatoma cells (HepG2) were transiently transfected with rat ER$\alpha$ or ER$\beta$ plus an estrogen-responsive complement C3-luciferase (C3-Luc) reporter gene. After transfection, cells were treated with various concentrations of toxaphene and chlordane to investigate agonism or antagonism of these chemicals. Both toxaphene and chlordane were potent agonists in HepG2 cells for ER$\alpha$. In contrast, these chemicals had a minimal agonist activity with ER$\beta$ and almost abolished 17$\beta$-estradiol-induced ER$\beta$-mediated activity. Therefore, toxaphene and chlordane behaved as an ER$\alpha$ agonist and an ER$\beta$ antagonist with estrogen-responsive reporter plasmid C3-Luc, and exposure to these organochlorine pesticides could have a crictical effect on normal endocrine function.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.265-272
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• 1998

The effects of mixtures of diazinon(DA;5mg/kg), toxaphene(TOX;40mg/kg) and/or endrin(END; 5mg/kg) on the hepatic mixed-function oxygenase(MFO) system were stuided in ICR mice(18~22g) by oral intubation daily for 7 days. In general, TOX and TOX-containing mixtures were found to induced the metabolism of aminopyrine(22~60%), aniline(42~85%), phenacetin(145~194%) and benzo [a]pyrene(158~210%), and pentobaribtal biotransformation in the 9,000g liver supernatants and to increased the hepatic cytochrome p-450 contents(47~89%). Results of these may be, at least in part, associated with the MFO system. TOX pretreatment increased the aliesterase activity in the serum and liver homogenates and supernatants by 23~145%. The toxicity of TOX and TOX-containing mixtures would be lower than that of diazinon because of TOX-induced increase in the metabolism of diazinon(DA) or diazioxon(DO) and capability of TOX to stimulate the metabolism of diazinon and diazioxon and provide a pool of non-critical enzymes. These results suggest that this information might be helpful in the evaluation of the potential hazard due to occupational and/or environmental exposures to pesticides and their mixtures.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.231-236
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• 1996

The toxicity of the mixture of diazinon, toxaphene(TOX) and/or endrin was studied in ICR male mice(18-22 g) by oral intubation, in corn oil, daily for up to 14 days. On day 15, the exposure was discontinued and animals were monitored for an additional period of 7 days for the possible reversibility of the toxicity. The body weight gain decreased with the mixtures, as well as with the individual pesticides, during the 14-day period. TOX and TOX containing mixtures significantly increased the liver/body weight ratio. The serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase level increased at 23~374% in diazinon, TOX, and endrin or their mixture group. The cholinesterase(ChE) activity in the serum and brain was inhibited in the animals of the group of diazinon(5, 10 mg/kg) and diazinon(5 mg/kg) containing mixtures. TOX(40, 80 mg/kg) caused initial inhibitory effects on the serum ChE Day 1. but there is little effects on the brain ChE levels. endrin(5,10 mg/kg) results in significantly elevated levels of the serum ChE, with substantial decreases in the brain ChE activity. TOX and TOX containing mixtures decreased the pentobarbital(60 mg /kg, ip., in saline) induced sleep. The effects produced by this pesticides singly, as well as by their mixtures, appeared to be reversible in nature. The toxic effects exhibited by the mixtures of diazinon(5 mf/kg), TOX(40 mg/kg), and /or endrin(5 mg/kg) were found to be the resultant of the effect showed by their components individually.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.208-216
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• 2009

This study was performed to investigate levels of POPs in soil by land use and identify congener profiles of PCBs, PCDD/Fs in soil in Korea. Heptachlor, Aldrin, Endrin, Mirex, Toxaphene were not found in all areas. The concentrations of Diedrin, Chlordane, ${\Sigma}$DDT, HCB in soil samples were in ranged from N.D. to 12.08 ${\mu}g$/kg, from N.D. to 16.08 ${\mu}g$/kg, from N.D. to 38.19 ${\mu}g$/kg and from N.D. to 1.32 ${\mu}g$/kg. In case of PCBs, concentration were in ranged from N.D. to 172.12 ${\mu}g$/kg, and PCBs contaminated area was higher than other areas. The concentrations of PCDD/Fs were in ranged from 0 to 6.68 pg I-TEQ/g. In addition, the ${\Sigma}$PCDFs concentration in the industry area soil was higher than ${\Sigma}$PCDDs.