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Figure 5 | Environmental Health

Figure 5

From: Disruption of human plasma cell differentiation by an environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon: a mechanistic immunotoxicological study

Figure 5

Preferential plasma cell apoptosis does not account for a decrease in the percentage of plasma cells in B [ a ]P-treated cultures. Purified B cells were activated for 4 days as described in Figure 1. B cells then were γ-irradiated and re-cultured in the presence of the pan-caspase inhibitor ZVAD-fmk (30 μM) for an additional 4 days. Cells were treated with vehicle or 10-6 M B [a]P during the first and/or second culture periods. A) Cells were phenotyped for CD20 and CD38 expression by flow cytometry. Dot plots obtained with cells from a representative donor (4 total) are shown. The percentages of CD20lo/CD38hi plasma cells are indicated in the upper left quadrants. B) The percentages of plasma cells (4 donors) obtained 4 days after irradiation (day 8) and after treatment with vehicle or 10-6 M B [a]P in the presence or absence of 30 μM ZVAD-fmk are presented as means ± SE. An asterisk indicates a significant decrease in the percentage of plasma cells relative to control, vehicle-treated cells (p < 0.05; Dunnett's test).

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