Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1978 Apr 1;147(4):1228–1235. doi: 10.1084/jem.147.4.1228

Effect of colchicine on the antibody response. II. Demonstration of the inactivation of suppressor cell activities by colchicine

PMCID: PMC2184257  PMID: 306409

Abstract

The simultaneous administration of colchicine (CC) with a T-independent antigen, e.g. 2,4,6-trinitrophenyl-keyhold limpet hemocyanin-Sepharose, to intact animals effectively enhanced their hapten-specific plaque- forming cell (PFC) response. However, in congenitally athymic nude mice in which T-cell regulation was absent, CC was ineffective in producing enhancement. These observations suggest that the target cell acted upon by CC is most likely thymus-derived. Furthermore, the injection of CC with the co-polymer of L-glutamic acid50-L-tyrosine50 (GT) abolished GT- specific suppression of the PFC response to GT-methylated bovine serum albumin. Spleen cells from CC-treated and GT-primed hosts could no longer transfer suppressive activity to normal recipients. These results provide evidence that CC is capable of inactivating or eliminating suppressor cells or their precursors. Thus, CC-induced enhancement of the antibody response may be explained, at least in part, by its antimitotic, and hence lethal effect on dividing suppressor T cells.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (495.7 KB).

Selected References

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

  1. Anderson R. E., Warner N. L. Ionizing radiation and the immune response. Adv Immunol. 1976;24:215–335. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2776(08)60331-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BANEY R. N., VAZQUEZ J. J., DIXON F. J. Cellular proliferation in relation to antibody synthesis. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1962 Jan;109:1–4. doi: 10.3181/00379727-109-27083. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baker P. J., Reed N. D., Stashak P. W., Amsbaugh D. F., Prescott B. Regulation of the antibody response to type 3 pneumococcal polysaccharide. I. Nature of regulatory cells. J Exp Med. 1973 Jun 1;137(6):1431–1441. doi: 10.1084/jem.137.6.1431. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Baker P. J., Stashak P. W., Amsbaugh D. F., Prescott B., Barth R. F. Evidence for the existence of two functionally distinct types of cells which regulate the antibody response to type 3 pneumococcal polysaccharide. J Immunol. 1970 Dec;105(6):1581–1583. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Basten A., Miller J. F., Johnson P. T cell-dependent suppression of an anti-hapten antibody response. Transplant Rev. 1975;26:130–169. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1975.tb00178.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Benacerraf B., Kapp J. A., Debré P., Pierce C. W., de la Croix F. The stimulation of specific suppressor T cells in genetic non-responder mice by linear random copolymers of L-amino acids. Transplant Rev. 1975;26:21–38. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1975.tb00173.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Chang Y. H. Mechanism of action of colchicine. II. Effects of colchicine and its analogs on phagocytosis and chemotaxis in vitro. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1975 Jul;194(1):159–164. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Debré P., Kapp J. A., Benacerraf B. Genetic control of specific immune suppression. I. Experimental conditions for the stimulation of suppressor cells by the copolymer L-glutamic acid50-L-tyrosine50 (GT) in nonresponder BALB/c mice. J Exp Med. 1975 Dec 1;142(6):1436–1446. doi: 10.1084/jem.142.6.1436. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Debré P., Waltenbaugh C., Dorf M. E., Benacerraf B. Genetic control of specific immune suppression. IV. Responsiveness to the random copolymer L-glutamic acid50-L-tyrosine50 induced in BALB/c mice by cyclophosphamide. J Exp Med. 1976 Jul 1;144(1):277–281. doi: 10.1084/jem.144.1.277. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Debré P., Waltenbaugh C., Dorf M., Benacerraf B. Genetic control of specific immune suppression. III. Mapping of H-2 complex complementing genes controlling immune suppression by the random copolymer L-glutamic acid50-L-tyrosine50 (GT). J Exp Med. 1976 Jul 1;144(1):272–276. doi: 10.1084/jem.144.1.272. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Eardley D. D., Sercarz E. E. Modulation of help and suppression in a hapten-carrier system. J Immunol. 1976 Mar;116(3):600–605. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Eardley D. D., Sercarz E. E. Recall of specific suppression: co-dominance of suppression after primary or secondary antigen stimulation. J Immunol. 1977 Apr;118(4):1306–1310. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Feldmann M., Greaves M. F., Parker D. C., Rittenberg M. B. Direct triggering of B lymphocytes by insolubilized antigen. Eur J Immunol. 1974 Sep;4(9):591–597. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830040903. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Gershon R. K. T cell control of antibody production. Contemp Top Immunobiol. 1974;3:1–40. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4684-3045-5_1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Goldfinger S. E., Howell R. R., Seegmiller J. E. Suppression of metabolic accompaniments of phagocytosis by colchicine. Arthritis Rheum. 1965 Dec;8(6):1112–1122. doi: 10.1002/art.1780080610. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kapp J. A., Pierce C. W., Benacerraf B. Genetic control of immune responses in vitro. I. Development of primary and secondary plaque-forming cell responses to the random terpolymer 1-glutamic acid 60-1-alanine30-1-tyrosine10 (GAT) by mouse spleen cells in vitro. J Exp Med. 1973 Nov 1;138(5):1107–1120. doi: 10.1084/jem.138.5.1107. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kapp J. A., Pierce C. W., Schlossman S., Benacerraf B. Genetic control of immune responses in vitro. V. Stimulation of suppressor T cells in nonresponder mice by the terpolymer L-glutamic acid 60-L-alanine 30-L-tyrosine 10 (GAT). J Exp Med. 1974 Sep 1;140(3):648–659. doi: 10.1084/jem.140.3.648. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Lehrer R. I. Effects of colchicine and chloramphenicol on the oxidative metabolism and phagocytic activity of human neutrophils. J Infect Dis. 1973 Jan;127(1):40–48. doi: 10.1093/infdis/127.1.40. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Pesanti E. L., Axline S. G. Colchicine effects on lysosomal enzyme induction and intracellular degradation in the cultivated macrophage. J Exp Med. 1975 May 1;141(5):1030–1046. doi: 10.1084/jem.141.5.1030. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Pierce C. W., Kapp J. A. Regulation of immune responses by suppressor T cells. Tohoku J Exp Med. 1976;5:91–143. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Rich R. R., Pierce C. W. Biological expressions of lymphocyte activation. II. Generation of a population of thymus-derived suppressor lymphocytes. J Exp Med. 1973 Mar 1;137(3):649–659. doi: 10.1084/jem.137.3.649. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Rowley D. A., Fitch F. W., Mosier D. E., Solliday S., Coppleson L. W., Brown B. W. The rate of division of antibody-forming cells during the early primary immune response. J Exp Med. 1968 May 1;127(5):983–1002. doi: 10.1084/jem.127.5.983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Shek P. N., Coons A. H. Effect of colchicine on the antibody response. I. Enhancement of antibody formation in mice. J Exp Med. 1978 Apr 1;147(4):1213–1227. doi: 10.1084/jem.147.4.1213. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Tada T., Taniguchi M., Takemori T. Properties of primed suppressor T cells and their products. Transplant Rev. 1975;26:106–129. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1975.tb00177.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Waltenbaugh C., Thèze J., Kapp J. A., Benacerraf B. Immunosuppressive factor(s) specific for L-glutamic acid50-L-tyrosine50 (GT). III. Generation of suppressor T cells by a suppressive extract derived from GT-primed lymphoid cells. J Exp Med. 1977 Oct 1;146(4):970–985. doi: 10.1084/jem.146.4.970. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Yamamoto H., Hamaoka T., Yoshizawa M., Kuroki M., Kitagawa M. Regulatory functions of hapten-reactive helper and suppressor T lymphocytes. I. Detection and characterization of hapten-reactive suppressor T-cell activity in mice immunized with hapten-isologous protein conjugate. J Exp Med. 1977 Jul 1;146(1):74–90. doi: 10.1084/jem.146.1.74. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES