title: Effect of lactational exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on the susceptibility to Listeria infection.
abstract: We studied the effect of lactational exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on the susceptibility to Listeria infection of offspring in C57BL /6NCji mice. The offspring were nursed by TCDD-treated dams and exposed to TCDD from birth to weaning via milk. The exposure had little effect on the weights of immune organs and the spleen or the thymus cell population in the dams and offspring, but it enhanced the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) in the serum after Listeria infection. The clearance of Listeria monocytogenes from the spleen was impaired in the off-spring. These results suggest that the exposure to TCDD of the offspring via milk disrupted the host resistance of the offspring, even though the main immune parameters were unchanged.
authors.affiliation: Division of Microbiology, National Institute of Health Sciences, 1-18-1 Kamiyoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158-8501, Japan. ykonishi@nihs.go.jp
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugita-Konishi
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: Katuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Yoshihiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins / Q000633:toxicity*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013154:Spleen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D000072317:Polychlorinated Dibenzodioxins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma