The Effect of The Pesticides Chlorpyrifos and Alphacypermethrin on The Development of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Lesion in BALB/c Mice

Three groups of BALB/c mice were treated orally with 0.6, 1.0 and 6.0mg/kg body weight of chlorpyrifos (CPF), and 3 other groups were treated with 2.5, 6.25 and 25mg/kg bodyweight of alphacypermethrin (ACM), respectively, every other day for 1 week. Six other groups were treated similarly for 2 weeks. The treated groups and a control group for each pesticide were inoculated in the dorsum with Leishmania major promastigotes at their stationary phase. Lesions started to appear 2-3 weeks post-inoculation and their diameters were measured in all groups 1, 5, 9 and 14 days post-appearance (PA). The mean diameter of lesions (MDL) only in the 6.0mg group treated with CPF for 1 week was larger than that of the control group. In the groups treated for 2 weeks, the MDL of the 1.0 and 6.0mg groups were larger than those of the control group 5, 9 and 14 days PA while MLD of the 0.6mg group was larger than that of the control group only 5 days PA. MLD was larger in the 0.6mg group treated for 2 weeks than that in the group treated for 1 week 1 and 5 days PA. MLD was larger in the 1.0mg group treated for 2 weeks than that treated for 1 week 9 days PA. MLD was similar in the 6.0mg group treated for 1 and 2 weeks. The MDL only in the 25mg group treated with ACM for 1 week was larger than that of the control group 9 and 14 days PA. The MDL of the 6.25 and 25mg groups treated for 2 weeks were larger than those of the control groups 5 days PA and the MLD of the 25mg group was larger than that of the control group 9 and 14 days PA. The MLD was larger in the 2.5mg group treated for 2 weeks than that in the group treated for 1 week 5 days PA. The MLD was larger in the 6.25 and 25.0mg groups treated for 2 weeks than those treated for 1 week 1 and 5 days PA. Immunotoxicity and/or peripheral neurotoxicity caused by CPF and ACM might have caused aggravation of lesions in mice particularly those treated with the pesticides for 2 weeks