Analysis of heavy metal immunotoxicity by multiparameter flow cytometry: correlation of flow cytometry and immune function data in B6CF1 mice.

Bone marrow and spleen cells obtained from female B6C3F1 mice given a single i.p. exposure to cadmium acetate (0.9 mg/kg), lead acetate (12 mg/kg), or sodium acetate (12 mg/kg), were studied using flow cytometry, immunologic, and hematologic assays. Significant changes were detected in subpopulations of bone marrow cells using multiparameter flow cytometry within 1 day following treatment with cadmium or lead. Bone marrow cells obtained from B6C3F1 mice 5 days after treatment with cadmium or lead were found to have a decreased number of cells expressing Mac-1, 55-7.2, 14.8, and Lyt-1 antigens, suggesting a shift to immature cell types. An increase in the number of progenitor cells (CFU-C) obtained from the bone marrow of mice treated with heavy metals was also noted 5 days after exposure to cadmium or lead. A time-dependent suppression of the in vitro primary humoral immune response of spleen cells to SRBCs, TNP-Ficoll and TNP-LPS was produced by cadmium or lead treatment. Suppression of the mitogenic response of spleen cells to Con A, PHA, and LPS was also found to be time-dependent. Spleen cell surface marker expression (Mac-1, Lyt-1, Lyt-2 and 14.8) was altered in response to cadmium or lead treatments, but these changes did not appear to correlate with the humoral immunity or mitogen-induced proliferation data. These studies demonstrate that changes in cell surface markers on discrete subpopulations of lymphoid cells present in the spleens of heavy metal exposed mice may not correlate with alterations in the functional activity of these cells. However, changes in murine bone marrow surface markers in response to cadmium or lead treatment predicts a shift to immature cell types, which appeared to correlate with the increase in CFU-C activity.