| Abstract: | Bifenthrin (BF) is an important synthetic pyrethroid. Previous studies have demonstrated that cis‐BF exhibits toxic effects on development, the neurological, reproductive and endocrine system. In this study, we evaluated the immunotoxicity caused by cis‐BF in adolescent male C57BL/6 mice. Mice were exposed orally to 0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/kg/d for 3 weeks. The results showed that body weight, spleen weight, and splenic cellularity decreased in mice exposed to 20 mg/kg/d cis‐BF. Additionally, we found that the mRNA levels of the pro‐inflammatory factors IL‐1β, IL‐6, CXCL‐1, and TNF‐α, in peritoneal macrophages, the spleen, and the thymus were inhibited in the cis‐BF‐treated groups. Moreover, MTT assays demonstrated that cis‐BF inhibited splenocyte proliferation stimulated by LPS or Con A, as well as the secretion of IFN‐γ on Con A stimulation. Collectively, the results of this study suggest that exposure to cis‐BF has the potential to induce immunotoxicity in adolescent male C57BL/6 mice. |
