SPRING 2008
MIDDLE
COLLEGIATE DIVISION
Call for Abstracts [See Example Below]
Format:
PLATFORM [ORAL]
PRESENTATIONS
Date:
12 April
2008 [SATURDAY
Please
email your abstract by April 5, 2008
Example Abstract:
EFFECT
OF PENTACHLOROPHENOL ON ATP LEVELS IN HUMAN NATURAL KILLER CELLS. *Ugochukwu
Nnodu and Margaret M. Whalen, Department of Chemistry, Tennessee State
University, Nashville, TN
Pentachlorophenol
(PCP) is an organochlorine compound that has been used as an insecticide and a
fungicide. PCP use has been restricted in the USA, it is mainly used now as a
wood preservative for power-line poles and fence poles. Pentachlorophenol (PCP)
has been detected in human tissues through inhalation and consumption of
contaminated food and water. Human natural killer lymphocytes play a central
role in immune defense against viral infection and tumor development. In
previous studies we -have shown that exposure to10-0.5然 PCP decreases the
tumor-killing function of natural killer cells. In this study we evaluated the
ATP levels of NK cells that were exposed to PCP. NK cells were exposed to PCP at
concentrations ranging from 10 μM to 0.5 然 for 24 h and 48 h. Exposure of
NK cells to 10 然 PCP for 24 h decreased the ATP levels by 23% compared to the
control, while exposure to 5 然 PCP for 24 h caused no decrease in ATP levels.
Exposure of NK cells to 5 然, 2.5 然 PCP for 48h decreased the ATP level by
50% and 23% respectively compared to the control. Exposure to 10 然 PCP for 24
h and 48 h decreased the cytotoxic function by 90% and 99% respectively.
Exposure of NK cells to 5然 PCP for 24 h decreased lytic function by about 75%
and by 96 % after 48 h. These data indicate that PCP exposure is able to
decrease ATP levels in NK cells but that significant decreases in cytotoxic
function occur even when there is no decrease in ATP levels.