title: Enhancement of carrier-specific helper T cell function by the synthetic adjuvant, N-acetyl muramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine (MDP).
abstract: The adjuvant effect of a synthetic peptidoglycan, muramyl dipeptide (N-acetyl muramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine, MDP), was studied by using the anti-Tnp PFC and hemagglutinin responses of BALB/c mice to hapten-carrier conjugates. Administration of Tnp-OVA and MDP in saline to mice, followed 2 weeks later by a boost of Tnp-OVA in saline, led to significantly higher IgM and IgG anti-Tnp PFC and total anti-Tnp-hemagglutinin responses than those obtained in mice not treated with MDP in the initial immunization. A similar adjuvant effect by MDP on anti-hapten PFC responses was seen if mice were primed with KLH together with MDP and challenged with Tnp-KLH 2 weeks later. This apparent effect on carrier priming for helper function was confirmed and quantitated by double adoptive transfer experiments with graded numbers of spleen cells from KLH +/- MDP-primed mice and a fixed number of hapten-primed spleen cells from syngeneic Tnp-OVA immunized animals. These data suggest that at least one mode of action of the synthetic adjuvant MDP is via the enhanced stimulation of the helper T cell function.
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D010457:Peptidoglycan / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D010457:Peptidoglycan; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes; D010047:Ovalbumin