Objective: To study the changes of immune function in mice offspring whose mothers were exposed to Rare Earth (RE)(NO(3))(3).
Methods: RE(NO(3))(3) was administered to mother mice after giving birth by gavage at dosages of 2, 20 and 200 mg/kg bw during breast-feeding period. The weights of spleen and thymus, the spleen plaque forming cells (PFC), the delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) and the charcoal clearance of the offspring were determined.
Results: The results obtained from the offspring after weaning showed that the body weight of offspring treated with 200 mg/kg RE(NO(3))(3) was 18.8% lower than that of the control group; at the dosage of 2 mg/kg, the number of IgM-PFC was increased by 82.7%; and at the dosage of 20 mg/kg the rate of clearance and clearance index were significantly higher than that of the control group. No difference in DTH was found in any treated group as compared to the control group. The results of offspring at three weeks after weaning showed that the number of IgM-PFC of the 20 and 200 mg/kg bw dose groups were 47.0% and 44.7% lower than that of control group respectively; the rate of clearance and clearance index of the 200 mg/kg group were significantly lower than that of the control group. No significant changes in DTH were observed in each exposed group.
Conclusion: RE(NO(3))(3) treatment affected the immune function of mice offspring which may caused by breast milk.