2,5-Hexanedione-induced immunomodulatory effect in mice

The immunotoxic potential of 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-Hxdn), the end metabolite of n-hexane/methyl n-butyl ketone, was evaluated in a mouse model involving multiple pathomorphological, hematological, and immunological assays. Young adult male Swiss albino mice were given either single or seven consecutive oral doses of 0.2 X LD50 of 2.5-Hxdn. None of the treated mice exhibited any sign of hind limb weakness up to 1 week. On the eighth day, half the animals were sacrificed for initial pathomorphological studies of various organs and the other half were subjected to several immune function tests. The results revealed treatment-related reduction in cellularity of spleen, thymus, and mesentric lymph nodes and pathotoxicological changes. Further, immune function tests such as delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction, plaque-forming cell assay, phagocytosis by adherent peritoneal exudate cells, and resistance to endotoxin shock were considerably impaired. These results suggest that 2,5-Hxdn treatment causes profound impairment of immunity in mice even before the onset of peripheral neuropathy.