Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Apr;10(2):64-74.
doi: 10.4110/in.2010.10.2.64. Epub 2010 Apr 30.

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers Orally Administration to Mice Were Tansferred to Offspring during Gestation and Lactation with Disruptions on the Immune System

Soon Keun Hong  1 , Kyung Hee Sohn, In Young Kim, Jong Kwon Lee, Jung Hun Ju, Jin Ho Kim, Chae Hyung Lim, Beom Seok Han, Hwa Chul Jung, Jin Yong Lee, Kui Lea Park
Affiliations

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers Orally Administration to Mice Were Tansferred to Offspring during Gestation and Lactation with Disruptions on the Immune System

Soon Keun Hong et al. Immune Netw. 2010 Apr.

Abstract

Background: The present study was undertaken to examine the immunological effects of pentabrominated diphenyl ether (penta-BDE) and decabrominated diphenyl ether (deca-BDE) on the immune system of the dams and the developmental immune system of the offsprings.

Methods: In this study, mated female C57BL/6J mice were orally administered penta-BDE, deca-BDE or corn oil for 5 weeks, from gestational day 6 to lactational day 21.

Results: The body weight of PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was significantly decreased relative to control mice, but that of post-natal day 63 (PND63) were recovered. Orally dosed dams with penta-BDE had significantly smaller absolute and relative spleen masses than control mice. Absolute and relative spleen and thymus masses of PND21 exposed to penta-BDE were significantly decreased over control. The exposure of dams and PND21 with penta-BDE reduced the number of splenocytes and thymocytes. As results of hematologic analysis, percentage WBC and percentage neutrophils increased in dams with deca-BDE. Splenic T cell proliferation in dams and PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was increased, and there were no significant difference in splenic B cell proliferation in all treatment groups. As results of flow cytometric analysis of splenocyte, percentage total T cell, Th cell and Tc cell in PND21 exposed to penta-BDE was slightly increased, and percentage macrophage in dams and PND21 exposed to deca-BDE was decreased. The ELISA results of antibody production show no significant difference in all treatment groups relative to controls.

Conclusion: These results imply that PBDEs given to the dam were transferred to the offspring during gestation and lactation, and PBDEs transferred from the dam affect immune system of offspring.

Keywords: Deca-BDE; Developing immune system; Penta-BDE.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no financial or commercial conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A general structure of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDEs). (A) penta-BDE, (B) deca-BDE.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Body weight changes in dams.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Body weight changes in F1.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Effects of penta-BDE on splenic T cell proliferation responses. (A) Dam, (B) PND21, (C) PND63.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Effects of deca-BDE on splenic T cell proliferation responses. (A) Dam, (B) PND21, (C) PND63.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Effects of penta-BDE on splenic B cell proliferation responses. (A) Dam, (B) PND21, (C) PND63.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Effects of deca-BDE on splenic B cell proliferation responses. (A) Dam, (B) PND21, (C) PND63.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Effects on penta-BDE or deca-BDE on relative distribution of total T cell in spleen. (A) Dam, (B) PND21.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Effects on penta-BDE or deca-BDE on relative distribution of helper T cell subsets in spleen. (A) Dam, (B) PND21.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Effects on penta-BDE or deca-BDE on relative distribution of cytotoxic T cell subsets in spleen. (A) Dam, (B) PND21.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Effects on penta-BDE or deca-BDE on relative distribution of B cell in spleen. (A) Dam, (B) PND21.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Effects on penta-BDE or deca-BDE on relative distribution of macrophage in spleen. (A) Dam, (B) PND21.
Figure 13
Figure 13
The change of serum IgG1 level in mice exposed to penta-BDE or deca-BDE. (A) Dam, (B) PND21.
Figure 14
Figure 14
The change of serum IgM level in mice exposed to penta-BDE or deca-BDE. (A) Dam, (B) PND21.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Fernlöf G, Gadhasson I, Pödra K, Darnerud PO, Thuvander A. Lack of effects of some individual polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners on human lymphocyte functions in vitro. Toxicol Lett. 1997;90:189–197. - PubMed
    1. Darnerud PO, Thuvander A. Studies on immunological effects of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) exposure in rats and mice. Organohalogen Compounds. 1998;35:415–418.
    1. Fowles JR, Fairbrother A, Baecher-Steppan L, Kerkvliet NI. Immunologic and endocrine effects of the flame-retardant pentabromodiphenyl ether (DE-71) in C57BL/6J mice. Toxicology. 1994;86:49–61. - PubMed
    1. Martin PA, Mayne GJ, Bursian FS, Tomy G, Palace V, Pekarik C, Smits J. Immunotoxicity of the commercial polybrominated diphenyl ether mixture DE-71 in ranch mink (mustela vison) Environ Toxicol Chem. 2007;26:988–997. - PubMed
    1. Arena SM, Greeley EH, Halbrook RS, Hansen LG, Segre M. Biological effects of gestational and lactational PCB exposure in neonatal and juvenile C57BL/6 mice. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2003;44:272–280. - PubMed