Cav3.2 T-type calcium channels control acute itch in mice.

Cav3.2 T-type calcium channels are important mediators of nociceptive signaling, but their roles in the transmission of itch remains poorly understood. Here we report a key involvement of these channels as key modulators of itch/pruritus-related behavior.

Targeted deletion of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor in dendritic cells prevents thymic atrophy in response to dioxin.

In nearly every species examined, administration of the persistent environmental pollutant, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (dioxin, TCDD) causes profound immune suppression and thymic atrophy in an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) dependent manner. Moreover, TCDD alters the development and differentiation of thymocytes, resulting in decreases in the relative proportion and absolute number of double positive (DP, CD4CD8) thymocytes, as well as a relative enrichment in the relative proportion and absolute number of double negative (DN, CD4CD8) and single-positive (SP) CD4CD8 and CD4CD8 thymocytes. Previous studies suggested that the target for TCDD-induced thymic atrophy resides within the hemopoietic compartment and implicated apoptosis, proliferation arrest of thymic progenitors, and emigration of DN thymocytes to the periphery as potential contributors to TCDD-induced thymic atrophy.

Dendritic Cell Assays.

Generation of dendritic cells from both mouse and human tissues is a valuable technique for downstream immunotoxicological applications. Here, we describe methods for generation of four subsets of dendritic cells from murine bone marrow and three subsets of dendritic cells from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Environmental Immunology: Lessons Learned from Exposure to a Select Panel of Immunotoxicants.

Exposure to environmental contaminants can produce profound effects on the immune system. Many classes of xenobiotics can significantly suppress or enhance immune responsiveness depending on the levels (i.e.

In vitro exposure to the herbicide atrazine inhibits T cell activation, proliferation, and cytokine production and significantly increases the frequency of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells.

The herbicide atrazine (2-chloro-4-[ethylamino]-6-[isopropylamino]-s-triazine) is the most common water contaminant in the United States. Atrazine is a phosphodiesterase inhibitor and is classified as an estrogen disrupting compound because it elevates estrogen levels via induction of the enzyme aromatase. Previous studies have shown that atrazine exposure alters the function of innate immune cells such as NK cells, DC, mast cells, and macrophages.