Evaluation of Apoptosis in Immunotoxicity Testing

Immunotoxicity testing is important in determining the toxic effects of chemical substances, medicinal products, airborne pollutants, cosmetics, medical devices, and food additives. The immune system of the host is a direct target of these toxicants, and the adverse effects include serious health complications such as susceptibility to infections, cancer, allergic reactions, and autoimmune diseases. One way to investigate the harmful effects of different chemicals is to study apoptosis in immune cell populations. Apoptosis is defined as the programmed cell death, and in general, this process helps in development and maintains homeostasis. However, in the case of an insult by a toxicant, apoptosis of the immune cells can lead to immunosuppression resulting in the development of cancer and the inability to fight infections. Apoptosis is characterized by cell shrinkage, nuclear condensation, changes in cell membrane and mitochondria, DNA fragmentation into 200 base oligomers, and protein degradation by caspases. Various methods are employed in order to investigate apoptosis. These methods include direct measurement of apoptotic cells with flow cytometry and in situ labeling, as well as RNA, DNA, and protein assays that are indicative of apoptotic molecules.