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Modulation of murine T and B cell reactivity after short-term cadmium exposure in vivo

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Abstract

This study assessed early effects of short-term Cd exposure on T and B cell responsiveness. Spleen cells from mice injected s. c. with a daily dosage of 1 mg, 0.33 mg, or 0.11 mg Cd (as CdCl2) per kg body weight for 5 days were examined for their potential to generate alloreactive T cells in a mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and for mitogen reactivity to concanavalin A (Con A) in vitro. Spleen cells from the same mice were also assayed for the total number of IgM- and IgG-secreting B cells. Whereas alloreactivity was reduced, mitogen response to Con A was not different from controls or was even enhanced. The decrease in allogeneic MLR was dependent on the injected Cd dosage. No difference in susceptibility to Cd-induced effects was observed among the mouse strains tested, i.e. BALB/c, DBA/2, C57BL/6, and C3H/He. Co-cultivation of spleen cells, obtained from Cd-treated mice that exhibited deficient T cell reactivity, with splenic responder cells from untreated mice resulted in dose-dependent suppression of the normal MLR. These results indicate that the harmful effects of Cd on the immune system include the inhibition of antigen-specific T cell responses by the activation of an antigen non-specific suppressor system. In contrast to the suppressed allogeneic MLR, the same spleen cell populations showed augmented numbers of IgM- and IgG-antibody producing cells.

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Abbreviations

Cd:

cadmium

Con A:

concanavalin A

CTL:

cytotoxic T lymphocyte

HBSS:

Hank's Balanced Salt Solution

LPS:

lipopolysaccharide

MLR:

mixed lymphocyte reaction

MMC:

mitomycin C

MT:

metallothionein

PFC:

plaque forming cell

PHA:

phytohemagglutinin

PMA:

phorbolmyristic acid

SI:

stimulation index

SPF:

specific pathogen-free

SRBC:

sheep red blood cells

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Immunology, Medical Institute of Environmental Hygiene at the University of Düsseldorf, Auf'm Hennekamp 50, D-4000, Düsseldorf 1, Federal Republic of Germany

    Ursula Hurtenbach, Jürgen Oberbarnscheidt & Ernst Gleichmann

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  1. Ursula Hurtenbach
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  2. Jürgen Oberbarnscheidt
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  3. Ernst Gleichmann
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Hurtenbach, U., Oberbarnscheidt, J. & Gleichmann, E. Modulation of murine T and B cell reactivity after short-term cadmium exposure in vivo. Arch Toxicol 62, 22–28 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00316252

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00316252

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