The effect of in utero exposure to hexachlorobenzene on the developing immune response of BALB/c mice.
BALB/c mice were exposed to 0.0, 0.5 and 5.0 mg/kg maternal body weight hexachlorobenzene (HCB) throughout gestation by daily per os dosing of the females. At 45 days of age selected immune functions of the offspring were assessed. The delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to oxazolone was severely depressed in animals exposed to either 0.5 or 5.0 mg/kg HCB, however, only those animals exposed to 5.0 mg/kg HCB showed a significant decrease in their mixed lymphocyte response (MLR) levels. The ability of isolated spleen cells to undergo a blastogenic response to concanavalin A (ConA), phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) showed no significant changes due to HCB exposure. Similarly, no significant difference in the induction of direct hemolytic plaque-forming cells was seen. A significant increase in the relative distribution of splenic T cells and a significant decrease in splenic B cells was measured in the offspring of HCB-treated females. These results suggest that HCB is capable of affecting the development or maturation of the immune response in mice, perhaps at the T cell level.
D000818:Animals; D002722:Chlorobenzenes / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene / Q000633:toxicity*; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed; D007109:Immunity / Q000187:drug effects*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C
D002722:Chlorobenzenes; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene