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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

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Your Environment. Your Health.

Publication Detail

Title: Neutrophil function after exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls in vitro.

Authors: Ganey, P E; Sirois, J E; Denison, M; Robinson, J P; Roth, R A

Published In Environ Health Perspect, (1993 Oct)

Abstract: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are known to be immunotoxic, yet the effects on neutrophil (PMN) function are not well characterized. We incubated PMNs isolated from rat peritoneum with a mixture of PCB congeners, Aroclor 1242, in the absence or presence of either phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) to stimulate generation of superoxide anion (O2-) or N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) to induce degranulation (measured as release of beta-glucuronidase). Aroclor 1242 alone stimulated O2- production at a concentration of 10 micrograms/ml. Significant cytotoxicity was not observed under these conditions. This concentration of Aroclor 1242 also increased O2- generation in PMNs activated with 20 ng PMA/ml. In the presence of a concentration of PMA (2 ng/ml) that by itself did not stimulate production of O2-, 1 microgram Aroclor 1242/ml caused significant generation of O2-, indicating synergy between Aroclor 1242 and PMA. Aroclor 1242 caused release of beta-glucuronidase from quiescent PMNs; however, in PMNs stimulated with fMLP to undergo degranulation, Aroclor 1242 inhibited release of beta-glucuronidase. The effects of two PCB congeners, one that binds to the Ah receptor (3,3', 4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl) and one that has little affinity for this receptor (2,2', 4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl) were examined. 3,3', 4,4'-Tetrachlorobiphenyl had no effect on PMN function in vitro, whereas 2,2', 4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl had effects similar to those observed with Aroclor 1242. These results indicate that PCBs affect PMN function in vitro in a complex manner, stimulating or inhibiting function under different conditions. These effects are apparently not mediated through the Ah receptor.

PubMed ID: 8119254 Exiting the NIEHS site

MeSH Terms: Animals; Glucuronidase/blood; Glucuronidase/drug effects; In Vitro Techniques; Male; N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine/pharmacology; Neutrophils/drug effects*; Polychlorinated Biphenyls/toxicity*; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Superoxides/blood; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate/pharmacology

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