Does DDT Inhibit Carbonic Anhydrase?

• Published in: Science
• Main Authors: Dvorchik, Barry H., Istin, Michael, Maren, Thomas H.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 1971
• Subjects: Carbonic acid
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.172.3984.728; https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.172.3984.728

At a concentration of 50 to 100 micrograms per milliliter, p,p '-DDT (and p,p '-DDE) did not inhibit the rate of hydration or dehydration of carbon dioxide by carbonic anhydrase. At concentrations greater than 500 micrograms per milliliter, partial inhibition of the rate of dehydration of carbonic acid was observed, but this involved precipitation of drug in the reaction vessel. This degree of inhibition suggests that DDT may not inhibit carbonic anhydrase effectively at the usual concentrations found in tissue after exposure of organisms to DDT in the environment.