Immune Effects of Nonylphenol on Offspring of Rats Exposed During Pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Effects of nonylphenol on immune system of male rats were examined. Dams were treated orally with nonylphenol at doses of 0, 20, 40, 80, or 200 mg/kg, respectively, from pregnant days 14 to 19. The offspring rats were investigated at postnatal day 60. Compared with the control groups, the doses of 80 and 200 mg nonylphenol/kg induced an obvious decrease in the absolute and relative weight of spleen and thymus. In the 200 mg/kg nonylphenol-treated group, the proliferative responses of murine spleen lymphocytes cultured in vitro were suppressed, Cytokine productions of interferon-gamma and interleukin-6 in serum were markedly lower than those in the control group. Histologically, the boundary between splenic red pulp and white pulp was unclear, expansion and congestion appeared in splenic sinus, lymphocytes in spleen and thymus dramatically reduced, and lots of focal necrosis cells were present. The results of this study show that nonylphenol can cross the placenta barrier, and that in utero exposure to 200 mg/kg/day nonylphenol can inhibit immune function in male offspring rats.

Key Words:

• nonylphenol
• offspring
• immune function

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by the foundations of: Natural Science Foundation of Guizhou Province, China (No [2008] 2190); Natural Science Foundation of Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, China ([2008] 5); and Zunyi Medical College, Zunyi City, Guizhou Province, China ([2007] 61-22).