title: Immunomodulatory effect of methimazole on inbred mice.
abstract: The effects of antithyroid drug, methimazole (MMI, 1-methyl-2-mercaptoimidazole), on the immune system of inbred mice, C57BL/6, were studied. The proliferative response of splenic lymphocytes to concanavalin A (Con A) and allogeneic stimulator cells was reduced when the mice were provided with 0.1% MMI in tap water ad libitum for two to four weeks. The reduction of proliferative response was correlated with a lower frequency of proliferative spleen cells in the MMI-treated mice. The ability to produce macrophage activating factor of these spleen cells and the levels of hemolytic plaque-forming cells were also reduced. However, the mitogenic response of the splenic lymphocytes to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was enhanced. In order to investigate whether the impaired cell-mediated and humoral immune systems would increase the susceptibility of the MMI-treated animal to the growth of tumor cells, mice were challenged with a lethal dose of Moloney virus-induced T cell lymphoma of C57BL/6 mice (MBL-2). The time required for 50% of the animals to die was reduced from 15 days for the normal mice to 10 days for the MMI-treated mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016215:Macrophage-Activating Factors; D008713:Methimazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008222:Lymphokines; D016215:Macrophage-Activating Factors; D003208:Concanavalin A; D008713:Methimazole