Biomed Pap Med Fac Univ Palacky Olomouc Czech Repub. 2005, 149(2):397-399 | DOI: 10.5507/bp.2005.067

THE EFFECT OF CERAMIC FIBERS ON THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Jana Tulinska^a, Miroslava Kuricova^a, Aurelia Liskova^a, Zuzana Kovacikova^b, Elizabeth Tatrai^c

^a Laboratory of Immunotoxicology, Department of Immunology and Immunotoxicology, Research Base of Slovak Medical University -, Institute of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, Limbova 14, Bratislava, Slovakia

^b Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Bioactive Material, Research Base of Slovak Medical University -, Institute of Preventive and Clinical Medicine

^c Department of Pathology, National Institute of Occupational Health, Budapest, Hungary

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated by intratracheal instillation with 1 mg/animal of refractory ceramic fibers. Intratracheal exposure to ceramic fibers led to significant changes of immune response. Results of proliferative activity of spleen lymphocytes showed significantly decreased proliferative activity of T-cells in response to mitogens phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A in animals given ceramic fibers in comparison with control rats. Similarly, T-dependent B-cell response to pokeweed mitogen was significantly suppressed. Spontaneous proliferative activity of lymphocytes in non-stimulated spleen cell cultures did not differ in exposed and control rats. No significant changes were found among groups in percentage of phagocytic blood polymorphonuclear leukocytes and percentage of cells with respiratory burst.

Keywords: Keywords: Ceramic fibers, Immune system, Immunotoxicity, Lymhpocytes, Phagocytosis, Immunosuppression

Received: June 10, 2005; Accepted: September 25, 2005; Published: December 1, 2005  Show citation