ABSTRACT
The treatment of recipient mice with LPS from S. marcescens followed by the injection of CY 48 h later inhibited a subsequent antibody production against unrelated antigen (SRBC) and polyclonal mitogen (LPS from Br. abortus). Such a reactivity persisted for 2-3 weeks after treatment. It was shown that the number of Ig+ cells in the spleens of treated mice was decreased, while the population of spleen Thy-1.2+ cells remained unaltered. Cell-cooperative test revealed that the function of B cells, but not T cells, was inhibited by the treatment. There were no changes in DTH response to SRBC. Thus, a subsequent treatment of mice with LPS and CY led to B-cell deficiency. The nature of this phenomenon is presumably the same as the nature of CY-induced antigen-specific immunological tolerance.
Subject(s)
Brucella abortus , Cyclophosphamide/pharmacology , Immune Tolerance/drug effects , Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology , Serratia marcescens , Animals , Antibody-Producing Cells/drug effects , Antibody-Producing Cells/immunology , Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic , Erythrocytes/immunology , Hypersensitivity, Delayed/immunology , Lymphocyte Cooperation/drug effects , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Inbred CBA , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction (DTH) in mice tolerant to allo- and xenoantigens has been investigated. To induce tolerance adult mice were thymectomized and given 1 X 10(8) allogeneic or xenogeneic spleen cells and cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg). Such mice failed to develop DTH to donor antigens, while DTH reaction to foreign allo- and xenoantigens was retained. Spleen cells of mice tolerant to alloantigens significantly suppressed the afferent and efferent DTH phases. The suppression was specific and T-cell-mediated. Spleen cells of mice tolerant to xenoantigens could suppress only the afferent DTH phase. The treatment of cells with anti-T-globulin and complement did not abrogate the suppression. The role of DTH suppressors in the induction and maintenance of transplantation tolerance is discussed.