IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE EFFECTS OF INDUCED ALFATOXICOSIS IN RABBITS

Graded levels of crude aflatoxin produced on chemically defined low sa lt medium with Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 2999 were fed to young hea lthy New Zealand White rabbits. The toxin treated rabbits showed lymph openia with compensatory neutrophillia. The results of DNCB contact se nsitivity test for ascertaining cell mediated immunity (CMI) showed si gnificant reduction in reactive shin diameter as well as less cellular and vascular reactions in shin biopsy sections. Reduced level of tota l serum protein concentration and heamagglutination (HA) titre against sheep erythrocytes (S.R.B.C.) revealed suppression of humoral immunit y in toxin treated rabbits. The lymphoid follicles of caecum also show ed depletion of lymphocytes which might be a contributory factor for i mmunosuppression. The results indicated that aflatoxin was a potential suppressor of both CMI and humoral immunity in rabbits.