Experimental and Clinicoepidemiological Study of Mechanism by which Chronic Beryllium Disease Develops

2000 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 11670392
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Public health/Health science
• Research Institution: Fujita Health University
• Principal Investigator: YOSHIDA Tsutomu Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Public Health, Associate Professor., 医学部・公衆衛生学, 助教授 (00158453)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KURITA Hideki Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Hygien, Associate Professor., 医学部・衛生学, 助教授 (50148269) ; OTANI Motohiko Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Hygien, Professor., 医学部・衛生学, 教授 (30084510) ; ONO Yuichiro Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Public Health, Professor., 医学部・公衆衛生学, 教授 (80135334) ; NAGAOKA Kaoru Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Public Health, Assistant Professor., 医学部・公衆衛生学, 講師 (60217974) ; TANIWAKI Hiroshige Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Hygien, Assistant Professor., 医学部・公衆衛生学, 講師 (40197538)
• Project Period (FY): 1999 – 2000
• Keywords: Beryllium Oxide / Beryllium Sulfate / Be-LT / Freund's complete adjuvant / Freund's incomplete adjuvant

Research Abstract

1. A Study on Sensitization of Guinea Pigs Administered Beryllium (Be) Compound
1) The animals were divided into the control group, BeO administration group and BeO+BeSO_4 administration group. A Be specific lymphocyte stimulating test (Be-LT) was performed to study differences in the sensitizing activity.
(Results) The BeO administration group showed a significantly high Be-LT value in comparison with the control group and BeO+BeSO_4 administration group.
2) The animals were divided into the adjuvant non-administration group (BeSO_4 solution), FCA combined group (BeSO_4+FCA solution) and FIA combined group (BeSO_4+FIA solution). Be-LT was performed to study differences in the sensitizing activity.
(Results) The FCA combined group showed a significantly high Be-LT value in comparison with the adjuvant non-administration group.
(Discussion) When changes in the Be-LT value were examined in the Be administration group, the Be-LT value in the BeO administration group was high in comparison with that in the BeO+BeSO_4 administration group. This suggests that the imnunological effect of intraperitoneal administration of Be compounds works in an accelerating manner in some cases and in suppressing manner in others according to the difference in Be compounds used. Be-LT value in the BeO administration group and FCA combined group was high in comparison with that in the other experimental groups. This suggests that endotracheal administration or intracutaneous administration using FCA is useful.
2, Influence of Be on the survival rate in splenic cells of male and female mice
Using mouse splenic cells, we studied the influence of Be on immunocytes, particularly the survival rate due to differences between the sexes.
(Results) The cell survival rate in the male and female mice of the control group (Be concentration : 0 μ M) decreased with the lapse of incubation time. The cell survival rate at 1, 10, 100 μM in male mice showed a tendency similar to that in the control. At 100 and 1000 μM, it showed a significant decrease compared with the control. The cell survaval rate at 1 and 10 μM in female mice showed a tendency similar to that in the control. At 100 and 1000 μM, it showed a significant decrease compared with the control from the 24th hour of incubation.
(Discussion) Regarding the difference in the influence of Be between male and female mice, of Be between male and female mice, the decline in the survival rate presented itself earlier in female mice than in male mice. Interestingly, the decrease in the splenic cell survival rate in female mice appeared earlier than that in male mice in this study. We intend to study this phenomenon further.