title: No immunotoxic effect on T cells with di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate in male C57BL/6 mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clarify whether di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) has immunotoxic effects on both the expression of surface molecules (CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD28) on T cells of the thymus and spleen in male C57BL/6 mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animals were orally administered a 0.1% or 0.2% DEHP-containing diet for 10 or 20 days. Dietary corn oil was used as the vehicle for DEHP in preparing the diet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant hepatic hypertrophy was clearly observed in the DEHP-exposed groups, while no atrophy was seen in the thymus or spleen in any treatment groups. In the thymus and spleen, no variation in the proportions of both T cells expressing CD3, CD4 and CD8 was shown with cytometry analysis. The surface expression of CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD28 on both T cells was also invariable in all analyzed stages of thymic differentiation and in the spleen. No effect of DEHP on mitogenesis was shown in the splenic T cells with anin vitro [(3)H]-thymidine-incorporation technique.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DEHP is probably not an immunosuppressor, particularly for T cells.
authors: Department of Food and Nutritional Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 1-1-1 Sakuragaoka, Setagaya-ku, 156-8502, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Taku
authors: T
authors: Sasaki
authors: Kunie
authors: K
authors: Yoshikawa
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Harada
authors: Soichi
authors: S
authors: Aral
authors: Toshichika
authors: T
authors: Takita