EFFECT OF HYPERTHERMIA ON IMMUNE-RESPONSE OF NORMAL RABBITS

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 38  (10) , 3518-3522
Abstract
Sequential skin responses to dinitrochlorobenzene challenge and repeat assays of serum antibody titer after 2 injections of bovine serum albumin were used as functional indices of cellular and humoral immunocompetence following hyperthermia [a proposed cancer treatment] in normal adult New Zealand White rabbits. The animals were subjected to different degrees of local hyperthermia by watercuff or radio-frequency heating of the normal thigh muscles maintained at 42.degree. C for 1 h on 3 consecutive days or 47-50.degree. C for 30 min, respectively, or to total body hyperthermia (42.degree. C for 1 h on 3 occasions) in a humidified incubator. No alteration occurred in the response of heated rabbits to dinitrochlorobenzene challenge over a 3 mo. period. The humoral immune response to bovine serum albumin was significantly depressed (P < 0.02) in the treated animals, and the reduction was independent of method and degree of heating. B[bone marrow derived]lymphocytes apparently are more susceptible to hyperthermic damage than is the T[thymus dervied]-cell population.

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