Immunologic effects of nickel: I. Suppression of cellular and humoral immunity

• Published in: Environmental research 1984-04, Vol.33 (2), p.413-427
• Main Authors: Smialowicz, Ralph J., Rogers, Ronald R., Riddle, Marie M., Stott, Geraldine A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; B-Lymphocytes - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Body Weight - drug effects; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Immunity, Cellular - drug effects; Injections, Intramuscular; Interleukin-2 - immunology; Killer Cells, Natural - drug effects; Male; Medical sciences; Metals and various inorganic compounds; Mice; Mice, Inbred CBA; Nickel - immunology; Nickel - pharmacology; Phagocytosis - drug effects; Spleen - drug effects; Spleen - immunology; T-Lymphocytes - drug effects; Thymus Gland - drug effects; Thymus Gland - immunology; Toxicology
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/0013-9351(84)90039-2

The effects of nickel chloride on the cellular and humoral immune responses of mice were studied. A single intramuscular injection of nickel chloride (18.3 mg/kg) caused a significant involution of the thymus within 2 days following treatment. Significant reductions in the in vitro mitogen-stimulated response of lymphocytes from nickel chloride-treated mice (24 hr following a single injection of 18.3 or 36.6 mg/kg) were observed for the T-cell mitogens phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (Con A), and the B- and T-cell mitogen pokeweed mitogen (PWM) but not the B-cell mitogen lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Theta-positive but not Ig-positive spleen cells were significantly reduced in nickel-treated mice compared with controls. Significant suppression of the primary antibody response to the T-cell dependent antigen sheep red blood cells was observed following a single injection of 18.3 mg/kg NiCl 2. Natural killer (NK) cell activity was significantly suppressed following a single injection of 18.3 mg/kg NiCl 2. The administration of NiCl 2 (18.3 mg/kg) also decreased the amount of endotoxin required to kill 50% of treated mice, although this was not statistically significant. In all cases the immunosuppressive effects of NiCl 2 were found to be transient with responses returning to normal within a few days. No alteration in the response of mice immunized with the T-cell independent antigen polyvinylpyrrolidone was observed following treatment with nickel. Furthermore, the phagocytic capacity of resident peritoneal macrophages from nickel-treated mice was not significantly different from saline-injected mice. The results indicate that NiCl 2 predominantly affects T-cell mediated immune responses and natural killer cells.