Effect of cyclosporin A on the induction and activation of B memory cells by thymus-independent antigens in mice

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Abstract
The effect of cyclosporin A on the induction and activation of B memory cells by thymus‐independent (TI) antigens was investigated. Studies were carried out in C57BL/6 mice, a strain in which TI.1 trinitrophenyl‐lipopolysaccharide (TNP‐LPS) and TI.2 dinitrophenyl‐(DNP)‐Ficoll antigens can elicit a secondary response. Evidence is presented that cyclosporin A does not adversely affect the primary or secondary response to TNP‐LPS. In contrast, this fungal metabolite prevents the triggering of virgin B lymphocytes and TNP‐LPS‐induced memory cells by DNP‐Ficoll. Cyclosporin A does not interfere with the generation of hapten‐specific B memory cells by TNP‐LPS or DNP‐Ficoll. These findings are discussed in terms of B cell lineages leading to antibody‐forming cell precursors and memory cells.