title: Vanadium toxicity in the thymic development.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to define the toxic effects of vanadium on thymic development in broilers fed on diets supplemented with 0, 5, 15, 30, 45 and 60 mg/kg of vanadium for 42 days. We examined the changes of relative weigh, cell cycle phase, apoptotic cells, and protein expression of Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 in the thymus by the methods of flow cytometry, TUNEL (terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling) and immunohistochemistry. The results showed that dietary high vanadium (30 mg/kg, 45 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg) caused the toxic effects on thymic development, which was characterized by decreasing relative weigh, increasing G0/G1 phase (a prolonged nondividing state), reducing S phase (DNA replication) and proliferating index (PI), and increasing percentages of apoptotic thymocytes. Concurrently, the protein expression levels of Bax and caspase-3 were increased, and protein expression levels of Bcl-2 were decreased. The thymic development suppression caused by dietary high vanadium further leads to inhibitive effects on T lymphocyte maturity and activity, and cellular immune function. The above-mentioned results provide new evidences for further understanding the vanadium immunotoxicity. In contrast, dietary 5 mg/kg vanadium promoted the thymic development by increasing relative weigh, decreasing G0/G1 phase, increasing S phase and PI, and reducing percentages of apoptotic thymocytes when compared to the control group and high vanadium groups.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Diseases and Environmental Hazards of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Diseases and Environmental Hazards of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Hongrui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Animal Diseases and Environmental Hazards of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China.|College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, China.
authors.forename: Hengmin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002645:Chickens; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D060168:Thymocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014638:Vanadates / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D014638:Vanadates; D053148:Caspase 3; C101036:ammonium metavanadate
keywords: Immune response; Immunity; Immunology and Microbiology section; apoptosis; cell cycle; protein expression; relative weight; thymus; vanadium