Immunosuppressive Effect of Aflatoxin B1

Aflatoxin B1의 면역억제작용

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) has been reported to directly suppress the immune responses. In the present study, the effect of AFB1 on immune functions was investigated. Splenic lymphocytes were treated with various doses of the mitogens (lipopolysaccharide, concanavalin A) in the presence of AFB1. AFB1 pretretment decreased the number of plaque forming cells (PFC) in a dose-dependent manner. Antibody production of IgM and IgG class was significantly decreased in AFB1-treated splenic cells. In addition, when animals were exposed to AFB1, the susceptibility of bacterial infection as well as the growth of tumor cells was increased. These data suggest that AFB1 affected the immune function and humoral immunity impaired by AFB1 treatment contributed to pathological process.