Role of penicillamine for the induction of myasthenia gravis.
Penicillamine and derivatives of this drug were tested for lymphocyte-activating properties. D- as well as L-penicillamine induced in vitro DNA synthesis in mouse splenocytes, whereas D-penicillamine methyl ester, N-acetyl-D-penicillamine and D-penicillamine disulfide were devoid of stimulatory properties. Lymphocytes from athymic mice were also responsive. However, we were unable to detect an increased antibody secretion in mouse spleen cell cultures exposed to penicillamine. Human peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy individuals as well as from patients with penicillamine-induced myasthenia gravis only gave minor proliferative responses after in vitro penicillamine exposure. Furthermore, there were no differences in proliferative capacity between these two groups. Cultivated human peripheral blood or spleen cells were not activated to antibody secretion in the presence of penicillamine. There were no signs of myasthenia gravis using single-fiber electromyography recordings in patients with rheumatoid arthritis being on penicillamine treatment or in mice from several different mouse strains receiving penicillamine in their drinking water. However, NZB/NZW hybrid mice receiving penicillamine had increased amounts of antinuclear and anti-dsDNA antibodies.
D000818:Animals; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000276:immunology; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D004247:DNA; D010396:Penicillamine