Prochloraz: an imidazole fungicide with multiple mechanisms of action.

Prochloraz is an imidazole fungicide that is widely used in Europe, Australia, Asia and South America within gardening and agriculture. Screening studies have shown that prochloraz elicits multiple mechanisms of action in vitro, as it antagonizes the androgen and the oestrogen receptor, agonizes the Ah receptor and inhibits aromatase activity. In vivo prochloraz acts as an antiandrogen in the Hershberger assay by reducing weights of reproductive organs, affecting androgen-regulated gene expressions in the prostate and increasing luteinizing hormone levels.

Mechanisms of action underlying the antiandrogenic effects of the fungicide prochloraz.

The fungicide prochloraz has got multiple mechanisms of action that may influence the demasculinizing and reproductive toxic effects of the compound. In the present study, Wistar rats were dosed perinatally with prochloraz (50 and 150 mg/kg/day) from gestational day (GD) 7 to postnatal day (PND) 16. Caesarian sections were performed on selected dams at GD 21, while others were allowed to give birth to pups that were followed until PND 16.

Perinatal exposure to the fungicide prochloraz feminizes the male rat offspring.

Prochloraz is a commonly used fungicide that has shown multiple mechanisms of action in vitro. It antagonizes the androgen and the estrogen receptors, agonizes the Ah receptor, and inhibits aromatase activity. In vivo prochloraz acts antiandrogenically in the Hershberger assay by reducing weights of reproductive organs, affecting androgen-regulated gene expressions, and increasing luteinizing hormone (LH) levels.

Effects of currently used pesticides in the AhR-CALUX assay: comparison between the human TV101L and the rat H4IIE cell line.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that mediates many of the biologic and toxicological effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and related compounds. The in vitro chemically activated luciferase expression (CALUX) assay has been proven to be a rapid and sensitive assay for assessing the potency of AhR-activating compounds. We have used the AhR-CALUX assay to investigate the AhR-mediated activity of the persistent organochlorine insecticide dieldrin and twenty-two pesticides currently used in Denmark by employing the rat H4IIE and the human TV101L hepatoma cell lines.