The Suppression of Anti-Bovine Serum Albumin Production in Rabbits by Acriflavine Hydrochloride N. F.

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Abstract
Summary: The primary immune response of rabbits was greatly suppressed by acriflavine HCl N.F. given 2 days before and continued for 13 days after the i.v. injection of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Two such courses of acriflavine HCl N.F. and BSA induced a degree of immune paralysis to subsequent injections of BSA. Acriflavine HCl N.F. started 10 min after the injection of antigen also depressed the immune response but was not as effective as when acriflavine was given prior to the antigen. Acriflavine HCl N.F. treatment in the dosage of 4 mg/kg for 7 days had minimal effect upon the secondary immune response once a primary response was established in the absence of acriflavine. In contrast to other immunosuppressant agents, the limiting toxicity of acriflavine HCl N.F. was not caused by apparent damage to granulopoiesis and lymphopoiesis. Serum γ-globulin levels were also unaltered. Rabbits given immunosuppressant doses of acriflavine HCl N.F. appeared healthy except for a slight elevation in the blood urea nitrogen and a slight depression in the hematocrit. Toxic doses of acriflavine HCl N.F. damaged the distal convoluted tubules of the kidney to produce a renal acidosis and nephrocalcinosis. Acriflavine HCl N.F. interfered with antibody production in a manner which appeared to be different from those of other immunosuppressant agents, but the mode of action remains unknown.