AhR activation by TCDD in the ET, cortical epithelial cell line

Over activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) by TCDD results ampng other phenotypes in severe thymic atrophy accompanied by immunosuppression. The link between thymic atrophy, skewed thymocyte differntiation and immunosuppression is still not fully resolved. This study investigates the TCDD elicted exprssion changes in the ET, cortical thymus epithelial cell line. Keywords: TCDD, AhR, thymic epithelial cells, thymic involution, thymus atrophy ET cells were grown to 80-90% confluence and treated with 5nM TCDD or solvent control (1,4-Dioxane, 0,05%V). 2h,4h and 6h after treatment, RNA was isolated using TRIzol and gene expression measured. All experiments wer done in biological duplicates.