Effect of carrageenan on immune responses. II. a possible regulatory role of macrophages in the immune responses of low-responder mice
Ishizaka, S.; Otani, S.; Morisawa, S.
Journal of Immunology 120(1): 61-65
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1767 PMID: 627727 Document Number: 135599
Although C57BL/6 mice showed little response to low dose antigenic stimulation with dinitrophenylated bovine .gamma.-globulin (DNP-BGG), this immune response was enhenced markedly by carrageenan treatment. They also showed a good response to dinitrophenylated ovalbumin (DNP-OA), but this response was much reduced by carrageenan treatment. These results were reversed in C3H/HeN mice. The responder status of these animals seems to depend mainly on macrophages rather than on thymus-derived (T) cell or bone marrow-derived (B) cell function since similar results were obtained in in vitro experiments with spleen cells from which macrophages were removed. These conclusions do not exclude the possibility that suppressor T cells may have some effect on the low responsiveness of C57BL/6 mice to DNP-BGG.