Description
Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is an organophosphorus (OP) insecticide that is still widely used despite statutory restrictions on home use. CPF is converted to chlorpyrifos oxon (CPO) by oxidative desulfuration in liver. Paraoxonase (PON1) polymorphisms affects the catalytic efficiency of the hydrolysis of OPs, including CPO. We used both wt (PON1+/+) and PON1 knockout (PON1-/-) mice and PON1-/- mice carrying transgenes encoding the human alloforms tgHuPON1Q192 and tgHuPON1R192 to gain insight into the mechanisms of neurotoxicity of CPO throughout postnatal development, and to ascertain the importance of the PON1Q192R polymorphism for protecting against developmental toxicity of CPO. Whole-genome microarrays were used to measure gene expression changes associated with chronic CPO exposure of developing (PND 4-21) PON1-/-, tgHuPON1Q192R transgenic and PON1+/+ mice.