Effects of ozone, hexachlorobenzene, and bis(tri-n-butyltin)oxide on natural killer activity in the rat lung

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0041-008X(90)90080-E· OSTI ID:6983205

Van Loveren, H; Krajnc, E I; Rombout, P J; Blommaert, F A; Vos, J G ^[1]

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1. National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection, Bilthoven (Netherlands)

The respiratory tract is a major route of exposure to noxious agents as well as pathogens such as viruses. Natural killer (NK) activity is an important first line of defense to virally infected cells as well as certain neoplasms; therefore, testing the effects of exposure to toxic compounds on this activity is important in understanding the immunotoxic potential of the compound. Lymphoid cell suspensions, obtained after enzymatic dispersion of rat lungs and purification over nylon wool columns, showed in vitro natural killer activity toward YAC lymphoma cells. Validation of the test with well-known NK activity stimulators such as Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), interleukin-2 (IL-2), interferon (IFN), and inhibitors like anti-asialo-GM1 (ganglio-n-tetrasylceramide) antibody confirmed the reliability of the test as an assay for detecting NK activity in rat lungs. Using this assay, we studied the effects of exposure to ozone (O3), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and bis(tri-n-butyltin)oxide (TBTO) on NK activity in rat lung. Inhalation exposure to O3 for 7 days at 0.4 and 0.8 mg/m3 resulted in stimulation, and exposure at 1.6 mg O3/m3 resulted in suppression of NK activity. Oral exposure to HCB in concentrations of 150 and 450 mg/kg food for 6 weeks suppressed NK activity in rat lungs in a dose-related manner. This was also true for 6 weeks of oral exposure of rats to 20 and 80 mg TBTO/kg food, but to a lesser extent. In summary, we have developed and validated a method to measure the effects of (toxic) substances on NK activity in rat lung.

• OSTI ID: 6983205
• Journal Information: Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology; (USA), Vol. 102:1; ISSN 0041-008X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
TOXICITY
LYMPHOCYTES
BIOASSAY
OZONE
TIN
CELL KILLING
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE DRUGS
INHALATION
INTERFERON
LUNGS
LYMPHOKINES
LYMPHOMAS
ORGANOMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
RATS
TUMOR CELLS
VIRAL DISEASES
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
CONNECTIVE TISSUE CELLS
DISEASES
DRUGS
ELEMENTS
GROWTH FACTORS
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
IMMUNE SYSTEM DISEASES
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
INTAKE
LEUKOCYTES
MAMMALS
MATERIALS
METALS
MITOGENS
NEOPLASMS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PROTEINS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
RODENTS
SOMATIC CELLS
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology