Lewis D M, Koller W A, Lynch D W, Spira T J
J Toxicol Environ Health. 1985;15(6):835-46. doi: 10.1080/15287398509530709.
Initial epidemiologic studies of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) occurring in homosexual men identified the use of the inhalants amyl, butyl, and isobutyl nitrite as possible risk factors contributing to the disease. Because of the lack of immunotoxicological data on these chemicals, we studied the effects of subchronic exposure to isobutyl nitrite (IBN) on the immune system. BALB/c mice were exposed to either 50 or 300 ppm IBN for 6.5 h/d, 5 d/wk for up to 18 wk. After 7, 13, or 18 wk of exposure, mice were killed and the following assays were performed. Antibody producing cells were enumerated by a slide plaque assay on animals immunized with sheep red blood cells while still in exposure chambers. The lymphocyte proliferative response to mitogens (phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, pokeweed mitogen, and lipopolysaccharide) was tested using several concentrations of each mitogen. Additional mice were immunized with Freund's complete adjuvant 21 d prior to death and were tested for delayed hypersensitivity response to purified protein derivative by a radiometric skin test. Finally, the relative numbers of T cells and T-cell subsets among splenic lymphocytes from exposed and control animals were determined. At the time periods tested there were no discernable immunotoxic effects observed in the exposed animals in any of the assays performed. These results indicate that IBN, at the dosages tested, had no discernable detrimental effect on the immune system of mice.
对同性恋男性中出现的获得性免疫缺陷综合征（艾滋病）进行的初步流行病学研究发现，吸入亚硝酸戊酯、丁酯和异丁酯可能是导致该疾病的风险因素。由于缺乏这些化学物质的免疫毒理学数据，我们研究了亚慢性暴露于亚硝酸异丁酯（IBN）对免疫系统的影响。将BALB/c小鼠暴露于50或300 ppm的IBN中，每天6.5小时，每周5天，持续长达18周。在暴露7、13或18周后，处死小鼠并进行以下检测。在用绵羊红细胞免疫的动物仍处于暴露室时，通过玻片空斑试验计数抗体产生细胞。使用每种促细胞分裂剂的几种浓度测试淋巴细胞对促细胞分裂剂（植物血凝素、刀豆球蛋白A、商陆促细胞分裂剂和脂多糖）的增殖反应。另外的小鼠在处死前21天用弗氏完全佐剂免疫，并通过放射性皮肤试验检测对纯化蛋白衍生物的迟发型超敏反应。最后，测定暴露组和对照组动物脾淋巴细胞中T细胞和T细胞亚群的相对数量。在所测试的时间段内，在进行的任何检测中，未在暴露动物中观察到明显的免疫毒性作用。这些结果表明，在所测试的剂量下，IBN对小鼠免疫系统没有明显的有害影响。
