EFFECTS OF INVIVO ADMINISTERED B-PERTUSSIS AND OTHER ADJUVANTS ON MITOTIC RESPONSES OF LYMPHOCYTES INVITRO

I.p. treatment of mice with adjuvants affects the in vitro response of their lymphocytes toward class-specific mitogens. Spleen cells from animals injected with Corynebacterium parvum organisms showed (in some cases) an increase in their response to all mitogens, while in other experiments, a moderate decrease in the reaction to T[thymus-derived cell]-specific mitogens (concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin) was found. Injection of [Escherichia coli] lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and in particular Bordetella pertussis bacteria, brought about a marked reduction in the response of spleen cells to B [bone marrow-derived] mitogens (LPS and PPD [purified protein derivative]) but had little or no effect on the reaction to the T mitogens. I.p. administration of B. pertussis caused a marked depletion of lymph nodes and a high level of lymphocytosis. Blood cells of the treated mice showed an increased response to T mitogens; mesenterial lymph node cultures reacted higher than the controls to LPS and without stimulation. No change was noted in the responses of cells from the axillary lymph nodes of these pertussis-treated mice.