title: Inhibition of the graft-versus-host response by BCGcw-induced suppressor cells or prostaglandin E1.
abstract: Immunization of C57BL/6 mice with BCGcw stimulated a population of "suppressor cells" which had a decreased capacity to induce the graft-versus-host response. The graft-versus-host response was quantitated using the Simonsen splenomegaly assay. F1 mice (C57BL/6 X CBA) were inoculated intraperitoneally with 1 X 10(8) parental (C57BL/6) or (CBA) spleen cells. The F1 mice were sacrificed 13 days later and the resulting splenomegaly was 3-4 times the normal amount. F1 mice which were injected with parental BCGcw-primed C57BL/6 spleen cells had a 50% inhibition of splenomegaly, whereas BCGcw-primed CBA spleen cells (a strain which does not develop suppressor cells) did not show this inhibition. In vitro results also confirmed that only C57BL/6 mice and not CBA mice developed suppressor cells after BCGcw immunization. A second study showed that X-irradiated (1000 R) BCGcw-primed "suppressor cells" could inhibit splenomegaly caused by the inoculation of normal parental C57BL/6 cells into F1 mice. The mechanism by which BCGcw-primed "suppressor cells" caused this inhibition of splenomegaly was delineated and found to be dependent upon the secretion of prostaglandin (PGE-1). Indomethacin and aspirin, potent inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis, blocked the activity of C57BL/6 BCGcw "suppressor cells" and splenomegaly resulted. Systemic administration of the prostaglandin (15S)-15-methyl PGE-1 reduced splenomegaly approximately 50% in F1 mice which were injected with C57BL/6 or CBA cells. These results indicated that immunization with BCGcw stimulated a population of "suppressor cells" which could cause a decrease in graft-versus-host response and that the secretion of prostaglandin was responsible for this inhibition.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001241:Aspirin / Q000494:pharmacology; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000276:immunology; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D006087:Graft vs Host Reaction / Q000187:drug effects; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D011458:Prostaglandins E / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine; D011458:Prostaglandins E; D001241:Aspirin; D007213:Indomethacin