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Comparison of Immunological Effects of Cholera Toxin on Autoimmune MRL/lpr and BXSB Mice
Author(s) -
Zhou Nannan,
Nakai Shoji,
Oka Mikio,
Nagasawa Hideyuki,
Himeno Kunisuke
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1992.tb02077.x
Subject(s) - spleen , cholera toxin , medicine , endocrinology , autoantibody , lupus nephritis , systemic lupus erythematosus , ratón , autoimmunity , immunology , biology , antibody , disease
MRL/lpr and BXSB mice were treated weekly or biweekly with cholera toxin (CT) in intravenous dose of 2 μg/mouse. CT treatment notably alleviated proteinuria in MRL/lpr mice, but did not influence the course of lupus nephritis in BXSB male mice. Flow cytometric analysis showed that anomalous B220 + T cells in spleen and thymus were reduced in CT‐treated MRL/lpr mice while no significant change in lymphocyte populations was induced in BXSB male mice by this treatment. The suppressive effect of CT treatment on Con A response and the augmentative action on LPS response were observed in MRL/lpr mice. The latter may reflect increased B cells in relative number in the peripheral lymphoid organs. Mitogenic responses in CT‐treated BXSB male mice remained unchanged in comparison with those of untreated group. Increased production of IL‐6 by spleen cells was demonstrated in MRL/lpr mice treated with CT while in BXSB mice the level of IL‐6 was not changed by the treatment with CT. Production of IFNγ was suppressed by CT treatment in both strains of mice. This may be attributed to the inhibitory effect of CT on IFNγ‐producing Th1 cells as reported previously (Munoz et al, J. Exp. Med. 172: 95–103, 1990). However, CT treatment did not inhibit anti‐DNA antibody production in BXSB mice, whereas the autoantibodies were markedly decreased in MRL/lpr mice treated with CT.