Acute effects of benzene and cyclophosphamide exposure on cellular and humoral immunity of cotton rats, Sigmodon hispidus

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01689741· OSTI ID:7235847

McMurry, S T; Lochmiller, R L; Vestey, M R; Qualls, Jr, C W; Elangbam, C S ^[1]

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1. Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater (United States)

Many environmental pollutants are potent immunotoxicants with the capability of altering host resistance to pathogens and compromising overall immunological integrity. Because environmental contaminants typically occur as a diverse group of compounds that are difficult to individually identify, their hazardous potential is often difficult to study in the laboratory. Consequently, development of wild mammalian species as bioindicators of environmental contamination may provide an alterative approach to assessing the hazardous potential of immunotoxicants for both human and wildlife populations. The cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus) is an excellent prospect as an in situ bioindicator of environmental contamination of terrestrial ecosystems. Recently, the authors initiated studies in their laboratory to develop a sensitive method to evaluate environmental immunotoxicity hazards to wildlife and humans. The present study was designed to test the sensitivity of selected humoral and cell-mediated immune response assays in the cotton rat to acute benzene and cyclophosphamide exposure which are known immunotoxicants.

• OSTI ID: 7235847
• Journal Information: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (United States), Journal Name: Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology; (United States) Vol. 46:6; ISSN 0007-4861; ISSN BECTA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACUTE EXPOSURE
ADULTS
AGE GROUPS
ALKYLATING AGENTS
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
BENZENE
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
DRUGS
ENDOXAN
HYDROCARBONS
IMMUNITY
IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE DRUGS
MAMMALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RATS
RODENTS
VERTEBRATES