Sobrian S K, Vaughn V T, Ashe W K, Markovic B, Djuric V, Jankovic B D
Department of Pharmacology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC 20059, USA.
Environ Res. 1997;73(1-2):227-41. doi: 10.1006/enrs.1997.3734.
Gestational exposure of the female to environmental toxins can alter immune function in the offspring. We have recently shown that prenatal maternal stress, that is, stress applied to or induced in the female during pregnancy, can also alter the development of humoral immunocompetence in the offspring and their hormonal and immunologic responses to postnatal stress. This report presents data from two experiments on the effects of prenatal exposure to loud noise-prenatal sound stress (PSS)-on the development and responsiveness of in vitro and in vivo humoral and cellular immune function in the offspring. Pregnant rats were exposed daily from Day 15 to Day 21 of gestation to an inescapable loud noise (an 85- to 90-decibel fire alarm bell) delivered randomly for 1 hr. In developing offspring, PSS produced age-dependent and mitogen-specific alterations in lymphoproliferative activity and reduced immunoglobulin G levels at Postnatal Day 21. Antibody titers to herpes simplex virus type 1 were also reduced. Exposure to loud noise before or after infection produced an additional reduction in titers in these offspring. Arthus skin reaction (AR) to old tuberculin was reduced by PSS. Combined prenatal/postnatal sound stress further reduced this response and the AR to bovine serum albumin (BSA). Delayed hypersensitivity reaction to BSA was reduced in PSS offspring; postnatal sound stress enhanced the reaction to both antigens, but only in males. Antibody titers to BSA were increased by PSS; adjuvant-induced inflammation was attenuated by postnatal sound stress. These data suggest that in utero exposure to loud noise, which can occur in the workplace, is toxic to the developing immune system.
孕期女性接触环境毒素会改变子代的免疫功能。我们最近发现，产前母体应激，即在孕期施加于雌性或在雌性体内诱导产生的应激，也会改变子代体液免疫能力的发育及其对产后应激的激素和免疫反应。本报告展示了两项实验的数据，这些实验研究了产前暴露于高强度噪声——产前声音应激（PSS）——对子代体外和体内体液及细胞免疫功能的发育和反应性的影响。妊娠大鼠在妊娠第15天至第21天每天暴露于不可避免的高强度噪声（85至90分贝的火警警报声）中，随机持续1小时。在发育中的子代中，PSS在出生后第21天导致淋巴细胞增殖活性出现年龄依赖性和丝裂原特异性改变，并降低了免疫球蛋白G水平。对1型单纯疱疹病毒的抗体滴度也降低了。在感染前或感染后暴露于高强度噪声会使这些子代的抗体滴度进一步降低。PSS降低了对旧结核菌素的阿瑟斯皮肤反应（AR）。产前/产后联合声音应激进一步降低了这种反应以及对牛血清白蛋白（BSA）的AR。PSS子代对BSA的迟发型超敏反应降低；产后声音应激增强了对两种抗原的反应，但仅在雄性中出现。PSS增加了对BSA的抗体滴度；产后声音应激减弱了佐剂诱导的炎症。这些数据表明，子宫内暴露于高强度噪声（这可能发生在工作场所）对发育中的免疫系统有毒性。
