title: Influence on the mouse immune system of chronic ingestion of 137Cs.
abstract: The aim of this work was to determine the possible occurrence of damage to the immune system during the course of chronic ingestion of (137)Cs. BALB/C mice were used, with (137)Cs intake via drinking water at a concentration of 20 kBq l(-1). Adults received (137)Cs before mating and offspring were sacrificed at various ages between birth and 20 weeks. Phenotypic analysis of circulating blood cells and thymocytes did not show any significant modification of immune cell populations in animals ingesting (137)Cs as compared with control animals, with the exception of a slight increase in Treg percentage at the age of 12 weeks. Functional tests, including proliferative response to mitogens such as phytohaemagglutinin, response to alloantigens in mixed lymphocyte reaction and immunoglobulin response to vaccine antigens such as tetanus toxin and keyhole limpet haemocyanin did not show any significant functional modification of the immune system in (137)Cs-ingesting animals as compared with control animals. Overall, our results suggest that chronic ingestion of a low concentration of (137)Cs in drinking water in the long term does not have any biologically relevant effect on the immune system.
authors.affiliation: IRSN, Laboratoire de Radiotoxicologie Expérimentale, Fontenay aux Roses, France. Jean-marc.bertho@irsn.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Marc
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bertho
authors.forename: Marie-Cécile
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Faure
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Louiba
authors.forename: Elie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tourlonias
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stefani
authors.forename: Baptiste
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Siffert
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paquet
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dublineau
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D000818:Animals; D001822:Body Burden; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007107:Immune System / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D016207:Cytokines; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals