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p,p'-DDT-induced neurotoxic syndrome

Experimental myoclonus

Departments of Neurology and Pharmacology. Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Fifth Avenue and 100th Street, New York, NY.

p, p'-DDT (100 to 600 mg per kilogram orally) produced spontaneous and stimulus-sensitive myoclonus in mice and rats. Drugs that enhance brain serotonergic activity reduced p, p'-DDT-induced myoclonus, and serotonin antagonists invariably aggravated this syndrome. p, p'-DDT-treated rats had increased concentrations of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in seven regional areas, but serotonin was increased only in the midbrain and cerebellum. We postulate that p, p'-DDT-induced myoclonus may be causally related to blockade of serotonin receptors or inhibition of serotonin release into the synapse, resulting in functional deficiency of this neurotransmitter at the receptor site.

Dr. Chung Hwang's address is Department of Neurology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Fifth Avenue and 100th Street, New York, NY 10029.

This work was supported by USPHS grant No. 12341 and NIH Fellowship NS 05802.

Accepted for publication February 13, 1978.