Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers Orally Administration to Mice Were Tansferred to Offspring during Gestation and Lactation with Disruptions on the Immune System.
BACKGROUND
The present study was undertaken to examine the immunological effects of pentabrominated diphenyl ether (penta-BDE) and decabrominated diphenyl ether (deca-BDE) on the immune system of the dams and the developmental immune system of the offsprings.


METHODS
In this study, mated female C57BL/6J mice were orally administered penta-BDE, deca-BDE or corn oil for 5 weeks, from gestational day 6 to lactational day 21.


RESULTS
The body weight of PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was significantly decreased relative to control mice, but that of post-natal day 63 (PND63) were recovered. Orally dosed dams with penta-BDE had significantly smaller absolute and relative spleen masses than control mice. Absolute and relative spleen and thymus masses of PND21 exposed to penta-BDE were significantly decreased over control. The exposure of dams and PND21 with penta-BDE reduced the number of splenocytes and thymocytes. As results of hematologic analysis, percentage WBC and percentage neutrophils increased in dams with deca-BDE. Splenic T cell proliferation in dams and PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was increased, and there were no significant difference in splenic B cell proliferation in all treatment groups. As results of flow cytometric analysis of splenocyte, percentage total T cell, Th cell and Tc cell in PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was slightly increased, and percentage macrophage in dams and PND21 exposed to deca-BDE was decreased. The ELISA results of antibody production show no significant difference in all treatment groups relative to controls.


CONCLUSIONS
These results imply that PBDEs given to the dam were transferred to the offspring during gestation and lactation, and PBDEs transferred from the dam affect immune system of offspring.
Immnotoxicity Division, National Institute of Toxicological Research, Korea Food and Drug Administration, Seoul, Korea.
Soon Keun
SK
Hong
Kyung Hee
KH
Sohn
In Young
IY
Kim
Jong Kwon
JK
Lee
Jung Hun
JH
Ju
Jin Ho
JH
Kim
Chae Hyung
CH
Lim
Beom Seok
BS
Han
Hwa Chul
HC
Jung
Jin Yong
JY
Lee
Kui Lea
KL
Park