Captan, a phthalimide fungicide, is considered to be relatively nontoxic to mammals. There is a possibility that captan affects membrane and cellular parameters of mammalian cells, resulting in adverse effects, because of high residue levels. To test the possibility, we examined the effects of captan on rat thymic lymphocytes using flow-cytometry with appropriate fluorescent probes. Treatment with 10 and 30 μM captan induced apoptotic and necrotic cell death. Before cell death occurred, captan elevated the intracellular concentrations of Ca2+ and Zn2+ and decreased the concentration of cellular thiol compounds. These captan-induced phenomena are shown to cause cell death and are similar to those caused by oxidative stress. Captan also elevated the cytotoxicity of hydrogen peroxide. Results indicate that 10 and 30 μM captan cause cytotoxic effects on mammalian cells. Despite no report on the significant environmental toxicity hazard of captan in humans, it may exhibit adverse effects, described above, on wild organisms
