Monocrotaline (MCT) is a member of a class of naturally occurring
phytotoxins known as pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs). Exposure to PAs can result
in liver and cardiopulmonary lesions as well as lymphoid organ atrophy. In the
present study C57BI/6 (B6) mice received MCT (0-150 mg/kg/day, po) for 14
days. Overt toxicity...
T cell-dependent immune responses are highly sensitive to suppression by
exposure to the environmental contaminant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin
(TCDD), yet direct effects of TCDD on T cells have been difficult to demonstrate.
Because the activation of naive T cells is initiated by dendritic cells (DC), the studies
presented in this dissertation were...