Protection from benzene-induced immune dysfunction in mice

• Published in: Toxicology (Amsterdam) 2022-02, Vol.468, p.153103-153103, Article 153103
• Main Authors: Qiao, Yamei, Zhao, Yunyan, Wang, Gui, Song, Yuanyuan, Wei, Zilin, Jin, Min, Yang, Dong, Yin, Jing, Li, Junwen, Liu, Weili
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenosine Triphosphate - blood; Animals; Balb/c; Benzene - toxicity; Bombyx - chemistry; Female; Flow cytometry; Glutathione Peroxidase - drug effects; Glutathione Peroxidase - metabolism; Immunity - drug effects; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - drug effects; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Lymphocyte; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mitochondrial; Pinellia - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Redox imbalances; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Spleen - drug effects; Superoxide Dismutase - drug effects; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Thymus Gland - drug effects; Ubiquinone - pharmacology; Valproic Acid - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0300-483X; 1879-3185
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2022.153103

[Display omitted] •Benzene could induce immune dysfunction in mice spleen, thymus and PBMCs.•Benzene induced immune impairment of PBMC is related with mitochondrial dysfunction.•Regulating mice oxidative stress is efficient to prevents benzene-induced immune dysfunction. Benzene can impair peripheral immunity and immune organs; however, the recovery of benzene impairment has rarely been reported. In this study, we developed an immune dysfunction mouse model using a benzene gavage (500 mg/kg). Female Balb/c mice were treated with Bombyx batryticatus (BB, 5 g/kg), raw pinellia (RP, 5 g/kg), or a combination of Valproic acid and Coenzyme Q10 (CM, 150 mg/kg VPA & 100 mg/kg CoQ10) medication for four weeks. The immune function of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), spleen, and thymus was determined to evaluate whether the observed impairment could be altered by medications in the mouse model. Results showed that medications could alleviate benzene-induced structural and functional damage of spleen and thymus. Benzene exposure decreased the ATP level of PBMC, which can be improved by BB, RP or CM. Importantly, BB, RP or CM could relieve benzene induced-oxidative stress by increasing the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and decreasing the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA). In conclusion, BB, RP, and CM were able to alleviate the benzene-induced immune dysfunction and redox imbalance. Improvement of the oxidative and antioxidant imbalance may represent a mechanism by which medicine prevents benzene-induced immune dysfunction.