Nerve growth factor enhances antigen-specific antibody production in ascorbate-stimulated murine splenocytes.
In murine splenocytes, a primary antigen-specific antibody response is stimulated by 2-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-L-ascorbic acid (AA-2G), a stable form of ascorbate, as described in our previous paper. We examined here the effect of nerve growth factor (NGF) on the antigen-specific antibody production in vitro augmented by AA-2G. NGF (> or = 10 ng/ml), which alone had no effect, enhanced the anti-sheep-red-blood-cell (SRBC) antibody response stimulated by AA-2G. The effect of NGF plus AA-2G or AA-2G alone was abrogated by the presence of castanospermine, an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, suggesting that the active form of AA-2G is ascorbate. The repeated additions; but not one addition, of ascorbate also resulted in a synergism with NGF on the antibody production. These results suggest that NGF might be a cytokine which functions as a regulatory factor for ascorbate-dependent immune responses.
Yanagida
M
M
Department of Immunochemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Japan.
Gohda
E
E
Yamamoto
I
I
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D001205:Ascorbic Acid