THE SCID-HU MOUSE AS A TOOL IN IMMUNOTOXICOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT - EFFECTS OF 2-ACELYL-4(5)-TETRAHYDROXYBUTYL-IMIDAZOL (THI) AND DI-N-BUTYLTIN DICHLORIDE (DBTC) ON THE HUMAN THYMUS IN SCID-HU MICE
C. Deheer et al., THE SCID-HU MOUSE AS A TOOL IN IMMUNOTOXICOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT - EFFECTS OF 2-ACELYL-4(5)-TETRAHYDROXYBUTYL-IMIDAZOL (THI) AND DI-N-BUTYLTIN DICHLORIDE (DBTC) ON THE HUMAN THYMUS IN SCID-HU MICE, Toxicology, 100(1-3), 1995, pp. 203-211
SCID mice engrafted with human fetal thymus and liver tissue fragments
(SCID-hu mice) are currently considered as a new tool in human immuno
toxicoiogical risk assessment, Testing of various immunotoxicants exer
ting thymotoxicity via different intrathymic target cell types is nece
ssary for validation of this model. Therefore, SCID-hu mice were expos
ed to -acetyl-4(5)-(1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxybutyl)-imidazole (THI), the im
munotoxic component in the food additive, Caramel Colour III, or the o
rganotin compound, di-n-butyltin dichloride (DBTC). Histopathological
examination of the human thymus grafts of SCID-hu mice either exposed
to THI or to DBTC showed a reduction in the relative size of the thymu
s cortex, an effect also described in rodents. These results indicate
that the human thymus is a target for the immunotoxic action of both T
HI and DBTC, In addition, they indicate the promising potential of the
SCID-hu mouse model as a tool for human immunotoxicological risk asse
ssment.