title: Does aluminium stimulate the immune system in male rats after oral exposure?
abstract: The influence of oral aluminium exposure on the immune system was studied in rats. Male rats were exposed to soluble and labile Al in acidic drinking water (0-500 mg Al/l) for 7-9 weeks. The concentration of Al in femur bone was higher in rats exposed to 50 and 500 mg Al/l (mean concentration 277 and 599 ng Al/g) than in control rats (150 ng Al/g). The Al concentration in blood plasma could only be quantified in the 500 mg/l group (mean 2.7 ng/ml), whereas the concentrations in the control and 50 mg/l groups were low (< 2 ng Al/ml). Exposure of 4-13-weeks-old rats to the highest Al concentration caused an increased number of splenocytes, whereas exposure of 9-16-weeks-old rats to 500 mg Al/l caused an increased number of thymocytes. Moreover, the proliferative response of splenocytes to the mitogen Con A (2 micrograms/ml) was increased by exposure of the 9-16-weeks-old rats to 500 mg Al/l as compared with the controls. The results indicate that oral Al exposure caused a slight stimulation of some immune functions in the rat at Al plasma concentrations normally found in the human population (< 10 ng Al/ml).
authors.affiliation: Swedish National Food Administration, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Glynn
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thuvander
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sundström
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sparen
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Danielsson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jorhem
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000535:Aluminum / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D004326:Drinking; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D000535:Aluminum