Smialowicz R J, Rogers R R, Riddle M M, Garner R J, Rowe D G, Luebke R W
Environ Res. 1985 Feb;36(1):56-66. doi: 10.1016/0013-9351(85)90007-6.
A single intramuscular injection of nickel chloride (18.3 mg/kg) caused a significant reduction in murine splenic natural killer (NK) cell activity. This reduction in NK activity was not associated with a significant reduction in spleen cellularity nor in the production of suppressor cells. In a 4-hr 51Cr-release assay, NK cell activity was suppressed in both CBA/J and C57BL/6J mice. Administration of the nickel dose (i.e., 18.3 mg/kg total) over a 2-week period also caused a significant reduction in NK cell activity. In an in vivo NK assay, the clearance of [125I]iododeoxyuridine-labeled YAC-1 tumor cells from the lungs of nickel-treated mice was significantly reduced compared with saline injected controls. Another in vivo correlate of nickel-induced NK suppression was observed in mice injected with the B16-F10 melanoma. Mice given a single intramuscular injection of NiCl2 (18.3 mg/kg) developed significantly greater numbers of lung tumors than saline controls. The results indicate that NiCl2 is a potent suppressor of NK cell activity.
