Effect of fetal exposure to ultrasound on B lymphocyte function and antibody class production.
The purpose of this study was to determine if ultrasound radiation would affect the ability of antigen-stimulated B cells and their clonal progeny to undergo the isotype switch and produce diverse antibody classes. Pregnant BALB/c mice were exposed to various intensities of ultrasound (0.1-3.0 W/cm2) at different ages of gestation. Spleens from the resulting offspring were removed five or ten days after birth. The splenocytes were analyzed for the frequency of B cells capable of responding to the hapten 2,4 dinitrophenyl (DNP) using the splenic fragment assay, a B cell cloning assay. The DNP-responsive B cell clones were then classified on the basis of isotype expression. It was found that ultrasonic radiation during gestation did not alter the frequency of B cells responding to DNP. Furthermore, ultrasound had no apparent effect on the B lymphocyte's capacity to switch to different isotypes after antigenic stimulation. Thus, the results indicate that prenatal exposure to ultrasound does not appreciably affect the genetic and cellular processes necessary for the isotype switch and antibody class production.
Sosolik
R C
RC
Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio 78284.
Desai
B B
BB
Ciaravino
V
V
Teale
J M
JM
D019297:2,4-Dinitrophenol; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002999:Clone Cells; D004140:Dinitrophenols / Q000276:immunology; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D000939:Epitopes; D006241:Haptens / Q000276:immunology; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000009:adverse effects*
D004140:Dinitrophenols; D000939:Epitopes; D006241:Haptens; D007132:Immunoglobulin Isotypes; D019297:2,4-Dinitrophenol