IMMUNOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO FED PROTEIN ANTIGENS IN MICE .2. ORAL TOLERANCE FOR CMI IS DUE TO ACTIVATION OF CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE-SENSITIVE CELLS BY GUT-PROCESSED ANTIGEN

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 49  (3) , 451-456
Abstract
Mice fed ovalbumin develop specific systemic hyporesponsiveness. This oral tolerance is abrogated by cyclophosphamide pretreatment, and the mechanism of abrogation could be either via T suppressor cells or via damage to the gut epithelium. A serum transfer protocol was used to examine the site of action of cyclophosphamide in this system. Serum was collected from ovalbumin-fed mice and transferred into recipients which were then parenterally immunized with ovalbumin in Freund''s complete adjuvant. Serum transfer suppressed the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses but not the antibody responses of the recipients. Cyclophosphamide pretreatment (100 mg/kg) of recipients (but not of donors) abrogated this suppressor effect. Parenteral administration of ovalbumin in a range of doses did not induce immunological hyporesponsiveness. Absorption across the gut mucosa probably leads to generation of fragments of ovalbumin that induce suppressor cells selective for DTH.

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