PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO ACID, CHLORINE, OR TETRACYCLINE IN THE DRINKING-WATER - EFFECTS ON DELAYED-TYPE HYPERSENSITIVITY, HEMAGGLUTINATION TITERS, AND RETICULOENDOTHELIAL CLEARANCE RATES IN MICE

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 32  (6) , 603-608
Abstract
Water treated with HCl, alkaline and acidic solutions of sodium hypochlorite, or tetracycline was given to outbred mice for 120 days. Significant experimental variability was found in the delayed-type hypersensitivity responses in the mice drinking tetracycline treated water (1 mg/ml). One group of mice consuming tetracycline treated water had suppressed foot pad responses to sheep erythrocytes which may have been related to a change in the enteric microflora or a variation in tetracycline resistance. There was a significant reduction in uncorrected reticuloendothelial clearance rates (K) in the mice consuming acidified water (pH 2.0), and this appeared to be a result of reduced spleen weight and spleen to body weight ratios. However, there were no significant differences in the carbon clearance rates that were corrected for spleen, liver and body weights. Responses in other treatment groups were not significantly affected. The routine use of additives in drinking water for rodents should be considered as a potential source of variation in immune responses.