Evidence for suppressor cell activity associated with depression of contact sensitivity in Pseudomonas aeruginosa infected mice.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection depresses contact sensitivity to 2-phenyl-4-ethoximethylene-oxazolone (oxazolone), and enhances the antibody response to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) in the mouse. Anti-oxazolone antibody titres were found not to be significantly different in infected and uninfected animals; thus, the major circulating classes of antibodies do not seem to be responsibile for the observed depression of skin reactivity. Low dose (20 mg/Kg) cyclophosphamide (CY) pretreatment induced a further potentiation of antibody response to SRBC, and prevented depression of contact sensitivity in infected mice. On the other hand, when infected animals were pretreated with high doses (200 mg/Kg) of CY, antibody production was completely suppressed, whereas contact sensitivity was unaffected. Since CY treatment is known to selectively inhibit B lymphocytes, and since it can abrogate the infection-induced depression of reactivity to oxazolone, it is suggested that suppressor cells, which may have B-cell characteristics, are stimulated during P. aeruginosa infection in the mouse.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact / Q000276:immunology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D007114:Immunization; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010080:Oxazoles / Q000276:immunology*; D010081:Oxazolone / Q000276:immunology*; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors
D010080:Oxazoles; D010081:Oxazolone; D003520:Cyclophosphamide