Pyrethroids, a class of broad-spectrum and widely used synthetic pesticides, are typical chiral chemicals. More attention is being paid to the health risk assessment of the enantioselective toxicity of pyrethroid isomers. In this study, we used rat ovarian granulosa cells as in vitro model to investigate effects of cis-bifenthrin enantiomers on the biosynthesis of two hormones, progesterone and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). We showed that 1S-cis-bifenthrin, but not 1R-cis-bifenthrin significantly decreased the secretion of progesterone and PGE2. The 1S-isomer of cis-bifenthrin reduced the expression and transcriptional activation of P450scc, StAR, PBR, DBI and COX-2 genes, which are involved in regulating the rate-limiting steps of progesterone or PGE2 biosynthesis. The cis-bifenthrin isomers enantioselectively disrupted progesterone and PGE2 synthesis via protein kinase C pathway. Our findings suggest that the enantioselective toxicity of chiral pesticides should be considered for evaluating endocrine disruption, a toxicological endpoint of great concern in health risk assessment.

Enantioselective endocrine-disrupting effects of pyrethroids on hormone synthesis

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.