| he research presented herein provides information on coelomocyte (leukocyte) collection, function and immunotoxicity from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) in the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris. Research was undertaken as part of an overall goal to develop a well-documented and scientifically valid non-mammalian surrogate immunoassay with the earthworm L. terrestris to assess immunotoxic potential of xenobiotics. The principal objectives were to: (1) Develop an extrusion model for analyzing immunotoxicity of xenobiotics; (2) determine if coelomocytes can be collected repeatedly without obvious harm to the earthworm or change in immune response of the coelomocytes harvested and (3) validate the response sensitivity profiles of a panel of biomarkers ;Results show extrusion to be more efficient and suitable for sequential collection of coelomocytes because extrusion: (1) causes little trauma to earthworms and (2) produces clean samples of viable immunocompetent coelomocytes. Extruded earthworms repopulate with coelomocytes within six weeks after extrusion, thus cells may be harvested from the same individual earthworm at 6 week intervals, without affecting total and differential cell counts, rosette formation with and phagocytosis of rabbit red blood cells.;Exposure 10... |
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