Athymic experimental animals in pharmaco-immunological research.
Immunodeficient animals--the nude mouse and the nude rat--allow studies of drug action and possible side effects without interference from the immune system. Comparative investigations in athymic and euthymic animals allowed us to elucidate the role of T-lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus in mice, and the importance of NK-cells as effectors in guanethidine-induced sympathectomy in the rat. It is suggested that immunodeficient animals should be included in toxicological studies of xenobiotics.
Juul
P
P
Dept. of Biological Sciences, Royal Danish School of Pharmacy, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Christensen
H B
HB
Hougen
H P
HP
Svendsen
O
O
Thygesen
P
P
Rygaard
J
J
D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000209:etiology*; D006145:Guanethidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D051381:Rats; D011923:Rats, Nude; D013563:Sympathectomy, Chemical; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*
D006145:Guanethidine