Introduction Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) is an extensively studied super-antigen. A previous study by us suggested that SEB exposure during pregnancy could alter the percentage of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells in the peripheral blood of neonatal offspring rats. Aim It is unknown whether SEB exposure during pregnancy can influence the development of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the peripheral blood of neonatal offspring rats. Methodology Pregnant rats at gestational day 16 were intravenously injected with 15 µg SEB. Peripheral blood was acquired from neonatal offspring rats on days 1, 3 and 5 after delivery and from adult offspring rats for determination of Treg number by cytometry, cytokines by ELISA, and FoxP3 expression by real-time PCR and western blot. Results SEB given to pregnant rats significantly increased the absolute number of Tregs and the expression levels of FoxP3, IL-10 and TGF-β ( P <0.05, P <0.01) in the peripheral blood of not only neonatal but also adult offspring rats. Furthermore, repeated SEB exposure in adult offspring rats significantly decreased the absolute number of Tregs ( P <0.01), and the expression levels of FoxP3, IL-10 and TGF-β ( P <0.05, P <0.01) in their peripheral blood. Conclusion Prenatal SEB exposure attenuates the development and function of Tregs to repeated SEB exposure in the peripheral blood of adult offspring rats.

No abstract