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. 1969 Apr;16(4):433–446.

Effect of RES `Blockade' on antibody-formation

I. Suppressed cellular and humoral haemolysin responses in mice injected with carbon particles

Tawfik Sabet, Carol Newlin, Herman Friedman
PMCID: PMC1409641  PMID: 5770388

Abstract

Antibody formation to sheep erythrocytes, as detected both at the cellular and humoral level, was suppressed in adult mice after reticulo-endothelial cell (RES) blockade induced by intraperitoneal injection of colloidal carbon. Fewer antibody plaque-forming cells (PFC) appeared in spleens of carbon pretreated mice as compared to normal controls following intraperitoneal immunization with sheep erythrocytes. The day of peak antibody response was the same, however, for both control and carbon treated animals.

There was no compensatory increase in the number of PFCs in other lymphoid organs of carbon treated animals. Similarly, carbon inoculation had no detectable effect on the number of `background' PFCs in the spleens of unstimulated mice.

The time of injection of carbon in relation to time of immunization influenced the effect since injection of carbon 24–48 hours prior to RBC injection resulted in maximum immunosuppression. Injection of carbon 4–5 days before red blood cells resulted in only partial immunosuppression. Treatment with carbon 1–2 weeks prior to immunization had no detectable effect. Similarly, injection of carbon 1 or 2 days after immunization had little or no effect on the peak plaque response.

The decrease in the amount of serum antibody to sheep red blood cells in carbon treated mice was not as marked as that which occurred on the individual cell level. However, most of the antibody in the sera of carbon treated animals was susceptible to 2-mercaptoethanol, even 1 or 2 weeks after immunization. On the other hand, serum antibody from control mice was mainly 2-mercaptoethanol sensitive only during the first week after immunization.

Immunosuppression seemed to be related to a direct effect of carbon since the supernatant fluid obtained from carbon suspensions was not suppressive. Also, washed or dialysed carbon preparations were just as effective as the original preparation in suppressing antibody responses.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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