2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced immunotoxicity.

Abstract

The selective toxicity of TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) for the thymus, consisting primarily of immature T-cells, led us to search for an analogous selective toxicity for the immature B-lymphocytes in the bone marrow. In the dose-response study C57B1/6 male mice were injected with either vehicle alone (corn oil), 30, 60, or 120 micrograms/kg of TCDD i.p. The mice were killed by cervical dislocation 7 days later. In the time-response study, mice were injected with either saline or 120 micrograms/kg i.p. TCDD, 3, 7, 14, or 21 days before killing. In both studies, the following were analyzed: change in body weight, thymus weight, spleen and bone marrow cellularity, and spleen and marrow B-lymphocyte function, measured using the in vitro B-lymphocyte colony forming unit in culture assay, with the mitogen lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Salmonella typhosa, and the in vitro plaque forming cell assay, with the thymus independent antigen, TNP-LPS. In the dose-response study there was a reduction in thymic weight, spleen B-cell functional response (per spleen), and bone marrow B-cell functional response to 14%, 35-54%, and 20-32% of control, respectively, at a dosage of 120 micrograms/kg. In the time-response study, thymic weight and bone marrow B-cell functional response (per femur) were reduced to 6% and 18% of control, respectively, at day 21. The results indicate that TCDD was selectively more toxic to the immature B-cells in the bone marrow than the more mature B-cells in the spleen. This immunotoxicity was dose-dependent.

• Authors: J E Chastain Jr, T L Pazdernik
• Journal: International journal of immunopharmacology (Int J Immunopharmacol) Vol. 7 Issue 6 Pg. 849-56 ( 1985) ISSN: 0192-0561 [Print] England
• PMID: 3908345 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Dioxins
• Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins

Topics

• Animals
• B-Lymphocytes (drug effects, immunology)
• Bone Marrow (drug effects, immunology)
• Colony-Forming Units Assay
• Dioxins (toxicity)
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Hemolytic Plaque Technique
• Immune System (drug effects)
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins (toxicity)
• Spleen (drug effects, immunology)
• Thymus Gland (drug effects)
• Time Factors