The effects of twenty-two organochlorine pesticides as inducers of the hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes

1. 1. The effects of 22 organohalogen pesticides as inducers of hepatic drug-metabolizing enzymes in the immature male Wistar rat have been determined, this group includes four isomeric hexachlorocyclohexanes, technical chlordane, α-chlordane, γ-chlordane, oxychlordane, trans-nonachlor, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, dieldrin, kepone, toxaphene, mirex, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and several DDT analogs. 2. 2. With the exception of HCB, all of the pesticides induced microsomal dimethylaminoantipyrine, N-demethylase and aldrin epoxidase activities and the cytochrome P-450 content of microsomes from animals pretreated with most of the compounds was also increased compared to control rats. These pesticides all resembled phenobarbitone in their mode of induction. 3. 3. The effects of HCB as a microsomal enzyme inducer resembled those observed after coadministration of phenobarbitone plus 3-methylcholanthrene.