Th2 cytokine bias induced by silver nanoparticles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of common bottlenose dolphins ().

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been widely used in many commercial products due to their excellent antibacterial ability. The AgNPs are released into the environment， gradually accumulate in the ocean， and may affect animals at high trophic levels， such as cetaceans and humans， via the food chain. Hence， the negative health impacts caused by AgNPs in cetaceans are of concern. Cytokines play a major role in the modulation of immune system and can be classified into two types: Th1 and Th2. Th1/Th2 balance can be evaluated by the ratios of their polarizing cytokines (i.e.， interferon [IFN]-γ/Interleukin [IL]-4)， and animals with imbalanced Th1/Th2 response may become more susceptible to certain kinds of infection. Therefore， the present study evaluated the cytokine responses of cetacean peripheral blood mononuclear cells (cPBMCs) to 20 nm citrate-AgNPs (C-AgNP) by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).