Antigen-specific response of murine immune system toward a yeast β-glucan preparation, zymosan

Zymosan, a particulate beta-glucan preparation from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, shows various biological activities, including anti-tumor activity. We have previously shown that soluble beta-glucan initiated anti-tumor activity was long-lived and was effective even by prophylactic treatment at 1 month prior to tumor challenge. However, the activity by zymosan was relatively short-lived. Antigen-specific responses of mice to zymosan might be a causative mechanism. In this paper, mice were immunized with zymosan and antibody production and antigen-specific responses of lymphocytes to zymosan were analyzed. Sera of zymosan immune mice contained zymosan-specific IgG assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and FACS. Spleen and bone marrow cells of zymosan-immune mice showed higher cytokine production in response to zymosan. Specificity of zymosan-specific responses were also analyzed using various derivatives prepared from zymosan. These facts strongly suggested that mice recognize zymosan as antigen in addition to non-specific immune stimulant.     

Production of antisera specific to aldosterone: effect of hapten density and of carrier proteins

In order to investigate the influence of hapten density and of carrier proteins on the immunological characteristics of antisera, 4 groups of rabbits were injected with different aldosterone-carboxymethoxime protein conjugates. Six animals immunized with an aldosterone rabbit serum albumin (RSA) conjugate carrying 15 steroid molecules (RSA-2 conjugate) showed markedly higher antibody titers than rabbits injected with a RSA conjugate carrying 8 aldosterone molecules (RSA-1 conjugate). Low antibody titers were found in 8 animals immunized with an aldosterone bovine gamma globulin (BGG) conjugate showing a molar incorporation of 15. In a group of rabbits which was first injected with the RSA-1 conjugate and re-immunized with the RSA-2 conjugate the magnitude of antibody production was not enhanced. No differences in antibody sensitivity or specificity were observed between the 4 groups. It was concluded from these experiments a) that the density of haptenic groups depending on the molar incorporation of haptens and on the molecular weight of the carrier protein had influenced the magnitude of antibody production, b) that hapten density or carrier proteins had no effect on antibody sensitivity or specificity, c) that the magnitude of antibody production cannot be altered by re-immunizing with a more potent antigen.     

Suppression of IgE antibody production in SJL mice. V. Effect of irradiation and adult thymectomy on the suppression of IgE antibody production in SJL mice

Anti-DNP IgE antibody production was low and transient in SJL mice which were immunized with 1 microgram DNP-Nb and 1 mg A1(OH)3. The immunized SJL mice were irradiated (60-540 R) 1 day after challenge. A dose higher than 180 R induced enhancement of anti-DNP IgE antibody production as compared to nonirradiated control mice, suggesting the existence of irradiation-sensitive suppressor cells. Anti-DNP IgE antibody production was suppressed when immunized and irradiated SJL mice were injected with spleen cells from adult-thymectomized SJL mice. The donors of the spleen cells were thymectomized 2 or 4 months previously, and this suggests that the suppressor cells from unprimed mice are long-living T cells.     

Experimental regulation of granulomatous reactions around Schistosoma japonicum eggs implanted into the liver of mice.

Using a liver model, various granulomatous responses against Schistosoma japonicum eggs were studied in C57BL/6 mice immunized with tissue-extracted eggs prior to challenge implantation with freshly laid eggs. In mice receiving two ip injections of 20,000 eggs, there was little effect on early granuloma formation. Three weeks after implantation, however, tissue reaction accompanied by marked fibrosis was significantly augmented, compared to that in the untreated mice. In contrast, when mice were given four ip injections, the early reaction was accelerated and the subsequent fibrosis came to an end earlier than in the twice immunized or untreated mice. Different routes of injection produced differing effects on 2-week granulomas, with an augmented reaction following two sc injections and a diminished reaction following the same number of ip injections. Histologically, the diminished reaction was characterized by less cellularity, especially in the case of eosinophil infiltration.     

Antigen-specific helper activity in serum of mice primed with sheep red cells. I. Definition of the test system and comparison with other systems

An adoptive transfer system is described to measure serum helper activity in the primary antibody response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC). Mice injected with a high dose of cyclophosphamide and reconstituted with rabbit anti-thymocyte serum-treated spleen cells were used as recipients. Serum obtained 9 hr after ip injection of normal mice with 2 × 10⁸ SRBC (S(SRBC)) injected i.v. in the recipients caused a significant enhancement of the antibody response to 2 × 10⁷ SRBC. The serum helper activity was not generated in thymectomized animals and could be absorbed from S(SRBC) by normal and formalinized SRBC. The SRBC-specific serum helper activity (SSHA) is heat labile (30 min 56 °C) and shows allogeneic restriction. Another test system described in literature for measuring T-cell help in vivo was less suited to measure SSHA in the response to 2 × 10⁷ SRBC. A system using normal mice injected with 10⁵ SRBC for determining specific immune response-enhancing factor (SIREF), demonstrated SIREF activity in S(SRBC). It did, however, not measure SSHA, as absorption of S(SRBC) with formalinized SRBC did not abolish the activity in that system.     

Experimental erythrocyte autoantibodies. V. Induction and suppression of red blood cell autoantibodies in mice injected with rat bromelain-treated red blood cells

Mice injected with rat red blood cells (RBC), or rat bromelain-treated (brom) RBC, produce RBC autoantibodies and suppressor cells that specifically inhibit the autoimmune response without inhibiting the net production of antibodies against rat RBC. It has been investigated whether suppressor cells induced by injections of rat RBC are effective in preventing autoantibody production induced by rat brom RBC and vice versa. Autoantibodies were induced in C3H mice by weekly ip injections, each 0.2 ml, of a 6% suspension of rat RBC or rat brom RBC. Autoantibody production was assayed using Coombs' test. Suppressor cells were present in the spleens of mice positive in Coombs' tests and were shown by intravenous injections of 40 X 10(6) viable cells per mouse into untreated syngeneic mice 18 hr before the first injection of rat RBC or rat brom RBC. Autoantibodies eluted from mice positive in Coombs' tests after injections of rat RBC or brom RBC were absorbed by either type of rat RBC but not by RBC from sheep. This suggests that rat RBC and rat brom RBC display antigens that are similar, if not identical, to autoantigens on the mouse RBC. Spleen cells from mice injected with rat RBC suppressed autoantibodies induced by both rat RBC and rat brom RBC. In contrast, spleen cells from mice injected with rat brom RBC suppressed autoantibodies induced by rat brom RBC but not those induced by unmodified rat RBC. This differential suppression may be due to the removal from rat RBC, by bromelain, of a suppressor site and/or autoantigens of some specificities. Thus rat brom RBC may not induce the total range of specificities of autoantibodies, and of suppressor cells, induced by rat RBC.     

Immune retention: immunological requirements for maintaining an easily degradable antigen in vivo.

Radioactive human serum albumin (125I-HSA) was injected into the hind foot pads of unimmunized mice, actively immunized mice and mice passively immunized with mouse or rabbit anti-HSA serum. Eleven days later the unimmunized mice had cleared most of the 125I-HSA. In contrast, a high concentration of 125I-HSA was retained in the feet and draining lymph nodes and, to a lesser extent, in the spleen of the actively or passively immunized mice. Although immune retention required specific antibody, it appeared to be independent of T-cells or T-cell factors, since passively immunized nude mice retained antigen as well as actively or passively immunized normal mice. Depletion of the complement system with cobra venom factor (CVF) increased antigen retention in the feet but decreased retention in the spleen. Treatment with CVF did not decrease antigen retention in lymph nodes of actively immunized mice. Such treatment did, however, decrease retention in lymph nodes of passively immunized mice although not to the same extent as in the spleen. Retention of antigen in the feet was not only complement-independent but was also Fc independent, since F(ab')2 fragments of IgG could mediate immune retention. Antigen dose response studies indicated that immune retention in lymph nodes occurred optimally with minute amounts of antigen, whereas optimal retention in the feet required much higher concentrations of antigen. Foot pad injections of non-radiolabelled HSA eliminated 60% of the radioactivity retained in the foot pads of immunized mice. In contrast, non-radioactive egg albumin (EA) had almost no effect on retained HSA. However, if the mice were immunized to both EA and HSA, an injection of EA would displace a significant amount of retained HSA. Complexes of one specificity can apparently displace some retained antigen of a differing specificity.     

Co-delivery of antigen and IL-12 by Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus replicon particles enhances antigen-specific immune responses and antitumor effects

We recently demonstrated that Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus-based replicon particle (VRPs) encoding tumor antigens could break tolerance in the immunomodulatory environment of advanced cancer. We hypothesized that local injection of VRP-expressing interleukin-12 (IL-12) at the site of injections of VRP-based cancer vaccines would enhance the tumor-antigen-specific T cell and antibody responses and antitumor efficacy. Mice were immunized with VRP encoding the human tumor-associated antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (VRP-CEA(6D)), and VRP-IL-12 was also administered at the same site or at a distant location. CEA-specific T cell and antibody responses were measured. To determine antitumor activity, mice were implanted with MC38-CEA-2 cells and immunized with VRP-CEA with and without VRP-IL-12, and tumor growth and mouse survival were measured. VRP-IL-12 greatly enhanced CEA-specific T cell and antibody responses when combined with VRP-CEA(6D) vaccination. VRP-IL-12 was superior to IL-12 protein at enhancing immune responses. Vaccination with VRP-CEA(6D) plus VRP-IL-12 was superior to VRP-CEA(6D) or VRP-IL-12 alone in inducing antitumor activity and prolonging survival in tumor-bearing mice. Importantly, local injection of VRP-IL-12 at the VRP-CEA(6D) injection site provided more potent activation of CEA-specific immune responses than that of VRP-IL-12 injected at a distant site from the VRP-CEA injections. Together, this study shows that VRP-IL-12 enhances vaccination with VRP-CEA(6D) and was more effective at activating CEA-specific T cell responses when locally expressed at the vaccine site. Clinical trials evaluating the adjuvant effect of VRP-IL-12 at enhancing the immunogenicity of cancer vaccines are warranted.     

Protective effect of nasal immunization of influenza virus hemagglutinin with recombinant cholera toxin B subunit as a mucosal adjuvant in mice

To develop an efficient nasal influenza vaccine, influenza A and B virus HA with rCTB as a mucosal adjuvant were administered to mice intranasally. Serum anti-HA IgG and IgA antibody responses for both HA vaccines were significantly increased in the presence of rCTB. Higher HI and neutralizing antibody titers and higher mucosal IgA antibody responses in the respiratory tract were detected when rCTB was added than without rCTB. When mice were immunized with HA vaccine with or without rCTB and challenged by intranasal administration of mouse-adapted pathogenic influenza A virus, all mice immunized with HA plus rCTB survived for seven days without any inflammatory changes in the lungs, while not all the mice immunized with HA without rCTB survived, and all of them had lung consolidations. These results demonstrate that intranasal co-administration of rCTB as a mucosal adjuvant with influenza virus HA is necessary not only for the induction of systemic and mucosal HA antibodies, but also for the protection of mice from morbidity and mortality resulting from virus infection.     

Effects of antigen-feeding on intestinal and systemic immune responses. III. Antigen-specific serum-mediated suppression of humoral antibody responses after antigen feeding.

Feeding mice sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) caused a significant decrease in splenic IgM antibody responses to SRBC given ip. Reduced IgM responses were due to a suppressor factor in the serum of fed mice rather than due to a lack of IgM antibody-forming cell precursors or to the presence of suppressor T cells. Although feeding initially primed mice to produce greater IgA and IgG anti-SRBC responses after SRBC challenge, the initial primed state was transitory. Mice fed SRBC for longer than 8 weeks had significantly reduced splenic IgG and IgA responses after SRBC challenge.Suppression of IgM responses by serum from fed mice was antigen-specific and not H-2 restricted. Serum from fed mice inhibited the induction of IgM anti-SRBC responses but did not block the expression of already established responses. The size of the suppressor factor and the ability to remove suppressor activity from serum by anti-mouse immunoglobulin suggested that suppression was mediated by antibody. However, the determinants against which the antibody was directed appeared to differ among batches of suppressor sera. Suppressor activity did not appear to be mediated by immune complexes, or soluble antigen. Oral feeding of antigen can have a marked influence on host systemic immune responses when the antigen used for feeding is subsequently administered parenterally. Thus, oral antigen administration may provide a way for specifically manipulating systemic immune responses in vivo. In addition, antigen-feeding may provide a means for producing transferable factors that suppress humoral antibody responses.     

Induction of antigen-specific immune responses by oral vaccination with Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae ApxIIA

An effective way of inducing both mucosal and systemic immune responses to protect against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 Korean isolate was examined in mice by oral immunization using Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing the ApxIIA protein. The immunogenicity of the yeast-derived ApxIIA antigen was confirmed by the challenge test and ApxIIA-specific IgG antibody response assay. The group subcutaneously immunized with the protein extracted from the yeast expressing ApxIIA showed a higher survival rate after challenging with A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 isolate and IgG antibody level in serum than the group injected with that prepared from the yeast harboring vector only. Feeding the yeast expressing ApxIIA to mice induced both systemic and mucosal immune responses against the antigen. ApxIIA-specific IgA antibody titers and the number of IgA-secreting cells of mice vaccinated with S. cerevisiae expressing ApxIIA dose-dependently increased from the third immunization in both intestine and lung (P<0.01). A similar tendency of ApxIIA-specific IgG antibody responses was observed in the sera. The protective efficacy of the oral immunization was then evaluated by a challenge with a minimal lethal dose (MLD, 4.5 x 10(7) CFU/ml) of the A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 isolate. Fifty percent of the 30 mg administered group and 30% of the 15 mg administered group survived while none of the mice in the control groups survived after 36 h. These results suggest that feeding animals the yeast expressing the antigen can be an effective strategy to induce protective immune responses against A. pleuropneumoniae infection.     

Intranasal vaccination using interleukin-12 and cholera toxin subunit B as adjuvants to enhance mucosal and systemic immunity to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 glycoproteins

We have investigated the induction of protective mucosal immunity to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) isolate 89.6 by intranasal (i.n.) immunization of mice with gp120 and gp140 together with interleukin-12 (IL-12) and cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) as adjuvants. It was found that both IL-12 and CTB were required to elicit mucosal antibody responses and that i.n. immunization resulted in increased total, immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1), and IgG2a anti-HIV-1 antibody levels in serum; increased total, IgG1, IgG2a, and IgA antibody expression in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids; and increased IgA antibody levels in vaginal washes. Levels of anti-HIV-1 antibodies in both sera and secretions were higher in groups immunized with gp140 than in those immunized with gp120. However, only gp120-specific mucosal antibodies demonstrated neutralizing activity against HIV-1 89.6. Taken together, the results show that IL-12 and CTB act synergistically to enhance both systemic and local mucosal antibody responses to HIV-1 glycoproteins and that even though gp140 induces higher antibody titers than gp120, only gp120-specific mucosal antibodies interfere with virus infectivity.     

Effect of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection on anti-hapten IgE antibody response in the mouse: I. Induction of carrier specific helper cells

Inoculation of infective larvae of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis into A/J, BALB/c, and SJL mice primed intraperitoneally (ip) 3 weeks before infection with 1 μg of dinitrophenylated keyhole limpet hemocyanin (DNP-KLH) mixed with 1 mg Al(OH)₃ induced a carrier effect on anti-DNP IgE and IgG₁ antibody responses when the experimental mice were secondarily immunized with an ip injection of 1 μg of DNP-coupled N. brasiliensis extract (DNP-Nb) plus alum 2 weeks after infection. The magnitude of the hapten specific antibody response did not correlate rigidly with the number of larvae in the inoculum. Thus, a dose of 100 larvae was as effective in inducing the carrier effect as a dose of 800 larvae. Kinetic studies in A/J and BALB/c mice revealed that the anti-DNP IgE antibody response reached a maximum titer 7 days after the secondary immunization. These studies also showed that the enhanced IgE antibody response persisted for more than 40 days, while the response in all control groups terminated prior to that time. Using the adoptive transfer system, it was demonstrated that lymphoid cells obtained from the spleens or the mesenteric lymph nodes of infected mice cooperated with DNP-KLH primed cells to produce hapten specific IgE and IgG, antibodies when the challenge was made with DNP-Nb but not when it was made with 1 μg DNP-ovalbumin, clearly indicating carrier specificity. The helper activity of the cells obtained from infected mice was completely abolished or greatly reduced by the in vitro treatment with anti-θ serum and complement. The helper cells with maximum activity were present as early as 14 days after inoculation. The level of helper activity gradually decreased after 14 days. The results indicate that N. brasiliensis infection is effective in inducing carrier specific helper cells of thymic origin (T cells) in anti-DNP antibody responses. These results confirm those obtained by other investigators and add the new observation that N. brasiliensis infection elicits special helper T cells which induce an enhancement as well as a prolongation of anti-DNP IgE antibody response.     

Regulatory mechanism of reagin production in mice at the T cell level. I. Suggestive evidence for the generation of class specific PPD-reactive helper T cell population in Mycobacterium-primed cells.

Helper T cell activities specific for purified protein derivative (PPD) generated by immunization with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Tbc) or PPD were investigated concerning adoptive IgE and IgG antibody responses. It is interesting that preferential triggering activity of IgG antibody response was observed when PPD-reactive cells from mice immunized with Tbc were used as a helper cell source. The selective triggering of IgG B cells by Tbc-primed cells was consistently observed using DNP-primed B cell populations from mice immunized with DNP-carrier conjugate in either ICFA or alum. T cell dependency of helper activity was demonstrated by the fact that treatment of Tbc-primed cells with anti-Thy 1 antiserum plus complement abolished their helper activity. We also demonstrated that purified T cell populations selectively triggerred IgG B cells. Selective triggering of IgG B lymphocytes by Tbc-primed T cells may not be due to the influence of suppressor T cells supposedly present in Tbc-primed cells since this selectivity was not affected by X-irradiation of Tbc-primed T cell populations which may inactivate suppressor T cells. Furthermore, passive transfer of Tbc-primed cells into normal recipient mice, the condition which may detect the suppressor T cell effect much more sensitively in IgE production, or preimmunization with Tbc 2 weeks before, did not suppress primary anti-DNP IgE antibody response to DNP-PPD. Thus, the observations presented here are favorable to the concept of the presence of IgG class-specific helper T lymphocytes. Furthermore, PPD-reactive T cells from mice immunized with PPD itself exerted their helper function for triggering B cells of both IgE and IgG classes. This may also indicate that some of the components associated with Tbc other than PPD might negatively affect the development of PPD-reactive helper T cells specific to the IgE class. The generation of such IgG-specific T cell activity in the presence of Tbc will be discussed in the light of the T cell population involved in the regulation of antibody responses of different immunoglobulin classes.     

携带HCV核心蛋白原核表达质粒与真核表达质粒的减毒伤寒沙门菌诱导小鼠免疫应答之比较

丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）核心蛋白是丙肝疫苗的重要候选抗原,然而,该蛋白因具有免疫调控作用而影响免疫应答的诱导。构建了HCV核心蛋白的两种表达质粒,一种是体内激活型原核表达质粒pZW-C,另一种是真核表达质粒pCI-C。将该两种质粒转化减毒鼠伤寒沙门菌SL7207,得到重组菌SL7207/pZW-C和SL7207/pCI-C,分别将重组菌口服接种小鼠,检测小鼠的免疫应答,结果发现：① SL7207/pCI-C免疫鼠的CD3⁺CD4⁺ T细胞持续降低,而SL7207/pZW-C免疫鼠的CD3⁺CD4⁺ T细胞无明显改变;② SL7207/pCI-C免疫只诱导低水平抗HCV核心蛋白抗体,加强免疫对抗体阳转率及抗体水平无明显影响,而SL7207/pZW-C免疫组所有小鼠均产生较高水平的抗核心蛋白抗体。③ SL7207/pCI-C免疫鼠脾细胞的体外增殖活性、细胞毒性T细胞活性以及加强免疫对细胞免疫应答的增强作用均明显不及SL7207/pZW-C免疫鼠。结果提示：携带真核表达质粒pCI-C的沙门菌因在小鼠细胞内表达天然形式（结构以及磷酸化修饰）的HCV核心蛋白,可能通过对T细胞的免疫抑制作用而弱化免疫应答。而以携带原核表达质粒pZW-C的沙门菌免疫可避免这一问题,并具有接种方便,成本低廉等优点,从而可望作为基于HCV核心蛋白为靶抗原的HCV疫苗的候选免疫方式。     

Purine metabolic enzymes in lymphocytes. II. Adenosine deaminase and purine nucleoside phosphorylase activities in the immune response

ICR mice were immunized with sheep red blood cells (sRBC). Both adenosine deaminase (ADA) and purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) activities in spleen lymphocytes increased faster than the serum antibody titer and reached a peak one week after the immunization. ADA activity increased significantly in T lymphocytes but not in B lymphocytes collected from the spleens of the immunized mice. A statistically significant increase in PNP activity was found in both T and B lymphocytes from the spleens of the immunized mice. Spleen lymphocytes collected from ICR mice which had been immunized with mitomycin C-treated sarcoma 180 (S180) cells one week earlier showed cytotoxic activity against viable S180 cells. Both ADA and PNP activities in spleen lymphocytes of S180-immunized mice increased significantly, and both activities increased in T lymphocytes prepared from spleen of immunized mice. In contrast, an increase was found in PNP activity but not in ADA activity in B lymphocytes. These results suggest that an increase in both ADA and PNP activities may by necessary for the T-cell response in both humoral and cellular immune responses, and that an increase in PNP activity may be necessary for the B-cell response.     

Immune responses to T-dependent and T-independent antigens during visceral leishmaniasis in mice: evidence for altered T-cell regulation of immune responses to non-parasite antigens

Antibody responses to T-dependent and T-"independent" antigens were studied in disease-susceptible (BALB/c and C57BL/10) and disease-resistant (A/J) mice infected with Leishmania donovani chagasi. Disease-susceptible mice but not disease-resistant mice showed a transient decrease in PFC responses to TNP on a T-dependent carrier (BGG) during the period of 4-8 weeks after infection. Infected disease-susceptible animals also showed increased responses to TNP on a type II T-independent carrier (Ficoll), which persisted until at least 14 weeks after infection. The increased responses were associated with a significant increase in anti-TNP antibody of the IgG2b subclass. When T-enriched spleen cells from infected mice and B-enriched spleen cells from uninfected mice were transferred to irradiated recipients immunized with TNP-Ficoll, increased anti-TNP PFC were observed over numbers seen in irradiated recipients which received both B and T cells from uninfected mice. Increased responses to TNP-Ficoll were also induced by prior administration of soluble leishmania extract in CFA. Infected mice immunized with TNP-LPS, a T-independent type I antigen, also had increased anti-TNP antibody responses, but had normal anti-LPS antibody responses. The elevated antibody production which occurred in response to the T-"independent" antigens could not be attributed to the relatively low polyclonal response which occurred in both disease-resistant and disease-susceptible mice infected with L. donovani chagasi. The observations are consistent with leishmania induced, transient alterations in some T-cell functions including response to haptens on T-dependent carriers, and a lack of down regulation of T-"independent" responses. Subtle lesions in immunoregulation may be important correlates of successful protozoal infection and may be responsible for some of the immunologic manifestations of the disease.     

Vasoactive prostanoids are generated from arachidonic acid by COX-1 and COX-2 in the mouse

Generation of vasoactive prostanoids from arachidonic acid by cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and COX-2 was investigated in anesthetized mice. Intravenous injections of the prostanoid precursor arachidonic acid increased pulmonary arterial pressure and decreased systemic arterial pressure. Pulmonary pressor and systemic depressor responses were attenuated by SC-560 and nimesulide, inhibitors of COX-1 and COX-2, in doses that did not alter responses to injected prostanoids. Pulmonary pressor responses to arachidonic acid were blocked and a depressor response was unmasked, whereas systemic depressor responses were not altered, by a thromboxane receptor antagonist. Pulmonary and systemic pressor responses to angiotensin II injections and systemic pressor responses to angiotensin II infusion were not modified by COX-1 or COX-2 inhibitors but were attenuated by losartan. Systemic depressor responses to arachidonic acid were smaller in COX-1 and COX-2 knockout mice, whereas responses to angiotensin II, norepinephrine, U-46619, endothelin-1, and PGE(1) were not different in COX-1 and COX-2 knockout and wild-type control mice. These results suggest that vasoactive prostanoids with pulmonary pressor and systemic vasodepressor activity are formed by COX-1 and COX-2 and are consistent with Western blot analysis and immunostaining showing the presence of COX-1 and COX-2. These data suggest that thromboxane A(2) (TxA(2)) is formed from the precursor by COX-1 and COX-2 in the lung and are in agreement with immunofluorescence studies showing thromboxane synthase. The present data suggest that COX-1- or COX-2-derived prostanoids do not modulate responses to angiotensin II or other vasoactive agents and that prostanoid responses are similar in CD-1 and C57BL/6 and in male and female mice.     

Central suppression of monoclonal B cells: DNP-MGG suppresses proliferation and immunoglobulin synthesis in anti-DNP-secreting hybridoma and myeloma

Our laboratory has established that 2,4-dinitrophenyl-conjugated mouse IgG (DNP-MGG) can specifically suppress the anti-DNP secretion in hybridoma 35-12 and plasmacytoma MOPC-315 cells. To further study the mechanism of this suppression, the effect of DNP-MGG on anti-DNP synthesis and cell proliferation was investigated in these cell lines. Cultured tumor cells (1 × 10⁶) were injected ip into syngeneic mice. These mice were then given either 1 mg MGG or 1 mg DNP-MGG. At different days after injection, tumor cells obtained from these mice were assayed for anti-DNP secretion, anti-DNP synthesis, cell proliferation, and tumor cell size. When the anti-DNP secretion was suppressed by DNP-MGG, the intracellular synthesis of anti-DNP, demonstrated by [³H]leucine incorporation into DNP-binding activity, was also suppressed. Simultaneous assays of [³H]thymidine incorporation demonstrated that proliferation was also suppressed. Tumor cells injected ip into mice normally become small nonsecreting cells and later return to preinjection size and secrete antibody. Those cells whose antibody synthesis and proliferation were suppressed by DNP-MGG remained smaller.     

Differential effects of concanavalin A on T helper dependent and independent antibody responses

The in vivo immunosuppressive effects of Concanavalin A (Con A) on the thymus (T) helper dependent response to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) and the T helper independent response to E. coli lipopolysaccharide 055: B5 have been investigated. Maximum suppression was observed in BALB/c mice treated with 3 successive ip injections of 100 μg each of Con A administered on Days ?1, 0, and +1 relative to the day of immunization (Day 0) with SRBC (splenic PFC on Day 4 reduced from 74,000 down to 1400). As little as 10 μg × 3 of Con A was capable of depressing both the PFC and serologic response while 2.5 μg × 3 was ineffective. A single ip injection of 300 μg of Con A administered simultaneously at the time of immunization with SRBC reduced splenic PFC from 74,000 down to 9990 and serum antibody titers by 3–4 log₂ units. Significant depression was noted if mice were treated 1, 2, or 3 days prior to but not following immunization. Immunosuppression was noted in mice which had been treated and immunized ip or iv or treated iv and immunized ip. Heat inactivation reduced if not abolished the immunosuppressive properties of Con A.Mice immunized with varying doses of a bacterial vaccine of E. coli 055: B5 (15–1500 × 10⁶ killed organisms) and treated with Con A on days ?1, 0, and +1 had no significant depression of splenic PFC when compared to nontreated controls. Mice treated with Con A and simultaneously immunized with both SRBC and E. coli had a 37-fold reduction in the PFC response to SRBC but only a 2-fold reduction in the response to E. coli. This differential immunosuppressive effect on T helper dependent and independent responses is consistent with the recently reported in vitro specificity which Con A has for theta antigen bearing lymphocytes.