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Effects of Aluminum on Immune Functions of Cultured Splenic T and B Lymphocytes in Rats

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Abstract

The effects of Aluminum (Al) exposure on immune functions of cultured splenic T and B lymphocytes of rats were studied. The lymphocytes were isolated from spleen of healthy male Wistar rats weighing 110–120 g. The cultured cells in RPMI-1640 medium were exposed to 0 (control group), 0.035 (low-dose group), 0.07 (medial-dose group), and 0.14 (high-dose group) mg/mL Al3+ as aluminum trichloride (AlCl3) in an incubator under 5% CO2 at 37°C for 24 h. The T and B lymphocyte proliferation was measured with a tetrazolium dye colorimetric assay. The levels of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were determined by iodine [125I] IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α radioimmunoassay kits, respectively. The proportions of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T lymphocytes were measured with a flow cytometer. The results showed that the T and B lymphocyte proliferation, the levels of IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α, the proportions of CD3+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes, and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocytes were lowered by Al treatments, while the proportion of CD8+ T lymphocytes was increased. These findings indicate that Al exposure can inhibit the immune functions of splenic T and B lymphocytes of rats in vitro.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Fund of China (31172375) and the Science and Technology Program of Heilongjiang Educational Bureau (12511028).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China

    Yue She, Nan Wang, Shiliang Xia, Chongwei Hu & Yanfei Li

  2. College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China

    Chongxiao Chen

  3. Institute of Special Economic Animal and Plant Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jilin, 132109, China

    Yanzhu Zhu

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  1. Yue She
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  2. Nan Wang
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  7. Yanfei Li
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Correspondence to Yanfei Li.

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She, Y., Wang, N., Chen, C. et al. Effects of Aluminum on Immune Functions of Cultured Splenic T and B Lymphocytes in Rats. Biol Trace Elem Res 147, 246–250 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-9307-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-011-9307-3

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