Effect of exposure to nitrogen dioxide on t and b cells in mouse spleens

Effects of exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) on thymus-derived (T) and bursa-derived (B) cells were studied in albino mice. The mice were exposed continuously 24 $\text{h}\text{day}$ to 940 $\text{μg}\text{m}{}^3$ NO₂ and to 188 $\text{μg}\text{m}{}^3$ NO₂ with daily 3-h peaks 5 $\text{days}\text{week}$ of either 470, 940 or 1880 $\text{μg}\text{m}{}^3$ NO₂. After 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of exposure, single-cell suspensions were prepared from spleen and incubated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The PHA and LPS responses from mice exposed to NO₂ were generally depressed when compared with those in mice exposed for the same time periods to filtered air.