Insecticidal Compounds

Abstract

Insecticidal compounds DDT, chlordane, dicofol, trichlorophon, malathion, and dinocap at subtoxic concentrations inhibited vaccinia virus replication in human Chang-strain liver cells. Under the same experimental conditions, the replication of poliovirus was inhibited only by chlordane and malathion, whereas dicofol and dinocap increased the virus yields 4 and 18 times, respectively, and DDT exhibited a light stimulatory effect. Since the reduction in virus yields was not due to extracellular inactivation of virus, some insecticides may exert an antiviral activity by altering some physiological activities of cells. Consequently, the magnitude of virus replication may be useful as a parameter for the detection of toxicity in insecticides and other chemicals below their acute toxicity levels.