title: Anti-oxidants inhibit the enhancement of the immune response caused by oil adjuvants.
abstract: Adjuvants are agents that can induce strong immunity to different antigens. They are thought to act mainly by stimulating macrophages, causing the release of cytokines, which in turn induce an inflammatory focus necessary for the adjuvant action. The authors found that catalase, ascorbic acid, N-acetylcysteine and glutathione are able to inhibit the enhancing effect of incomplete Freund adjuvant (IFA) and polyoxyethylated castor oil upon the humoral immune response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC). None of the anti-oxidants tested inhibited the basal immune response to the antigen. In addition, mice inoculated with different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide showed an enhanced response against SRBC, mimicking the effect observed with adjuvants. Delayed type hypersensitivity induced by SRBC in the presence of IFA was also inhibited by catalase. In conclusion, the report indicates that oxygen radicals are crucial molecules involved in the adjuvant effect observed in SRBC immunized mice.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Hematologicas, Academia Nacional de Medicina, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Gianni
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Minnucci
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Alves Rosa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vulcano
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Isturiz
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002374:Catalase / Q000494:pharmacology; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005990:Glycerol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000209:etiology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012756:Sheep / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000975:Antioxidants; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; C000515:cremophor EL; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D002374:Catalase; D005990:Glycerol