Investigations on the effects of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on parameters of various immune functions.

The effects of TCDD exposure on parameters of immune function during the developmental period were investigated. Exposures were performed in Fischer/Wistar rats. Fetal and neonatal rats were exposed to TCDD through maternal dosing (5 micrograms/Kg) on day 18 of gestation and on days 0, 7, and 14 of postnatal life (group 1). Another group of neonatal rats were exposed to TCDD through maternal dosing on days 0, 7, and 14 of postnatal life only (group 2). Body weights and relative thymus weights were found to be suppressed up to 135 days of age in group 1 but only up to 35 days of age in group 2. Parameters of cell-mediated and humoral immune function were investigated. TCDD suppressed cell-mediated immune function without affecting humoral immune function. TCDD-exposed animals had recovered normal cell-mediated immune function by 270 days of age. A group of inbred Fischer rats was exposed to TCDD as described for group 1 above. At 45 days of age these animals were utilized in lymphocyte homing studies. It was found that TCDD exposure alters homing patterns of lymphocytes from exposed animals when adoptively transferred to untreated animals. In addition, lymphocytes from nonexposed animals did not home normally when injected into TCDD-exposed recipients.