AUGMENTATION OF IMMUNE-RESPONSES AFTER METHOTREXATE ADMINISTRATION

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 36  (2) , 265-269
Abstract
A single i.p. injection of 0.5 mg methotrexate (MTX) increases the immune reactivity of spleen cells from (C57Bl/6 .times. DBA/2)F1 mice. Five days after injection, spleen cells from MTX-treated mice exhibited greater PHA [phytohemagglutinin] responsiveness and GvH [graft vs. host] reactivity, and mice given SRBC [sheep red blood cells] at this time developed greater than normal direct PFC [plaque-forming cell] responses. This pattern of effects of MTX was particularly evident in mice that were given high doses of BCG i.v. 14 days before testing, a treatment that generally depressed the measured activities. MTX enhancement of GvH was observed in mice that were depleted of short-lived T [thymus-derived] lymphocytes by adult thymectomy. MTX-sensitive cells may exert, particularly in BCG-treated mice, a suppressive action on the responding cells. [These findings have relevance to cancer immunotherapy.].