Effects of DDT and piperonyl butoxide on the metabolic alterations in pigeon (Columbia livia).

Effect of acute doses of technical grade of dichloro diphenyl trichloro ethane (DDT) and piperonyl butoxide (PB) on hepatic microsomal cytochrome P450 (Cyt. P450) and cytosolic glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity in pigeon were studied after 24 hours of treatment. A completely reverse trend of changes in Cyt. P450 and GST activity were found as increase in Cyt. P450 paralleled with decrease in GST activity following exposure to DDT. However, intensity of changes in Cyt. P450 was greater than that of GST. A dose dependent decrease in Cyt. P450 and GST activity was observed after PB treatment. The study may, therefore, throw some light on metabolic alterations in wild birds resulting from environmental pollution by DDT and allied chemicals.