Effects of Aluminum on Immune Functions of Cultured Splenic T and B Lymphocytes in Rats

摘要

The effects of Aluminum (Al) exposure on immune functions of cultured splenic T and B lymphocytes of rats were studied. The lymphocytes were isolated from spleen of healthy male Wistar rats weighing 110–120 g. The cultured cells in RPMI-1640 medium were exposed to 0 (control group), 0.035 (low-dose group), 0.07 (medial-dose group), and 0.14 (high-dose group) mg/mL Al3+ as aluminum trichloride (AlCl₃) in an incubator under 5% CO₂ at 37°C for 24 h. The T and B lymphocyte proliferation was measured with a tetrazolium dye colorimetric assay. The levels of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were determined by iodine [125I] IL-2, IL-6, and TNF-α radioimmunoassay kits, respectively. The proportions of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T lymphocytes were measured with a flow cytometer. The results showed that the T and B lymphocyte proliferation, the levels of IL-2, IL-6, TNF-α, the proportions of CD3+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes, and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocytes were lowered by Al treatments, while the proportion of CD8+ T lymphocytes was increased. These findings indicate that Al exposure can inhibit the immune functions of splenic T and B lymphocytes of rats in vitro.