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IMMUNOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF 2-METHOXYETHANOL ADMINISTERED DERMALLY OR ORALLY TO FISCHER 344 RATS
Citation:
Williams, W., M. Riddle, C. Copeland, D. Andrews, AND R. Smialowicz. IMMUNOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF 2-METHOXYETHANOL ADMINISTERED DERMALLY OR ORALLY TO FISCHER 344 RATS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-95/390, 1995.
Description:
Exposure of rats to 2-methoxyethanol by gavage for 10 consecutive days results in immunotoxicity. o determine whether dermal exposure to ME also induces immunotoxicity, undiluted ME was applied to Fisher 344 male rats at dose levels of 150, 300, 600, 900 or 1200 mg/kg/d on shaved occluded test sites for 4 consecutive days. ecreased thymus weights were produced by all doses of ME while reductions in spleen weight were observed at doses of 900 mg/kg/d ME or greater. he alterations in these lymphoid organ weights were produced in the absence of loss in body weight. he LP responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) were enhanced a-t 1200 mg/kg/d ME compared with water controls. eparate groups of rats, employed for the antibody placque-forming cell (PFC) response to either trinitrophenyl-lipopolysaccharide (TNP-LPS) or sheep red blood cells (SRBC), were exposed dermally to 150, 300 or 600 mg/kg/d ME for 4 consecutive days. eduction in the PFC response to TNP was observed at 600 mg/kg/d ME, whereas decreases in the PFC response to SRBC were observed at dosages of 300 and 600 mg/kg/d ME. o compare the immunotoxic effects of dermally applied ME to those effects caused by ME administered orally, rats were dosed by gavage with 25, 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg/d ME for 4 consecutive days. P responses to PHA, PWM, and Salmonella tyiphimurium were increased at the 200 mg/kg/d ME dose level. FC responses to TNP-LPS and SRBC were suppressed at the 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/d ME dosages. hese results indicate that dermal exposure to ME suppresses the humoral immune response.