Changes of beta-glucuronidase activity in peripheral blood lymphocytes in rats exposed to a mixture of nitrogen oxides and chlorine.

The activity of beta-glucuronidase (BG) was tested cytochemically in the lymphocytes of peripheral blood of rats exposed to a mixture of nitrogen oxides (1.22 mg/m3) and chlorine (1.02 mg/m3) for 12 weeks. The number of lymphocytes was reduced, the activity of BG was depressed and the enzyme was shifted from the lysosomes to the cytoplasm of these cells. A relation between the changes in the lymphocytes at the subcellular level and the immunological responses of the organism are discussed.