Antibody-Mediated Immunity in the Presence of Mirex and DDT ,

The objective of these experiments was to evaluate the influence of Mirex (dodecachlorooctahydro-1,3,3,-metheno 2H cyclobuta (CD) pentaline) and DDT (1,1, bis-(p-chlorophenyl) 2,2,2-trichloroethane) on antibody-mediated immunity in the chicken. Feeding 200–400 p.p.m. of Mirex for up to 5 weeks of age did not significantly influence body weight, weights of the bursa, spleen, adrenal, thymus, or liver, level of immunoglobulin M (IgM) or IgG, antibody response as measured by precipitin levels to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and number of plaque forming cells to sheep red blood cells or absolute number of lymphocytes and heterophils. Only body weight was significantly reduced by feeding 800 p.p.m. Mirex. Feeding 500 p.p.m. of Mirex significantly depressed the levels of IgG and IgM, but did not influence antibody production. DDT was lethal only at 1000 p.p.m. when ¾ of all chicks died during the first 2 weeks after hatching. Feed withdrawal for 3–4 days before injecting BSA significantly depressed precipitin production and IgG levels in birds receiving 400 p.p.m. but not 200 p.p.m. of DDT. Feed withdrawal at the time of BSA injection and for the next 7 days did not influence birds receiving 200 p.p.m. DDT but significantly reduced titers in birds fed 400 p.p.m. DDT. The antibody response of Mirex birds (200 or 400 p.p.m.) was not modified. These data indicate that chickens exposed to high levels of DDT and faced with starvation and other possible environmental changes are less able to mount a normal antibody response.