Effects of androgen disruption by DDE on the development and functioning of the immune system in Japanese quail

We hypothesized that immunosuppression in birds that is caused by exposure to antiandrogenic chemicals occurs mainly through disruption of the development of the androgen-sensitive avian lymphoid organ, the bursa of Fabricius. Injections of 20.0 or 40.0 mug of p,p'-DDE [ethylene, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)], an antiandrogen, were administered at embryonic day 1. Bursas from only chicks treated with DDE were larger than, had fewer follicles, and exhibited vacuolization within follicles compared with controls; spleens were unaffected. No differences in either immune response test were observed. This study demonstrates that the bursa may play a role in androgen-active endocrine disrupting chemical-induced immunosuppression.