Dose-Dependent Induction of Immunologic Enhancement and Suppression after Oral Administration of Antigen

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The effects of feeding various quantities of a particulate antigen, sheep red blood cells (SRBC), on plaque-forming cells (PFC) in the spleen were determined. Mice were given various numbers of SRBC orally daily for 14 days, then injected with SRBC i.v. Splenic IgA PFC responses to SRBC were enhanced in the mice fed 5 .times. 108 SRBC and splenic IgG PFC responses to SRBC were depressed in the mice fed 5 .times. 109 SRBC. Adoptive transfer experiments showed that enhancement of splenic IgA PFC responses and suppression of splenic IgG PFC responses were induced by the T-cell rich fraction from Peyer''s patches (PP) and the spleen in 5 .times. 108 SRBC- and 5 .times. 109 SRBC-fed mice, respectively. Kinetic studies revealed that IgA helper cells or IgG suppressor cells appeared in PP 2 days after oral administration and 4 days after it in the spleen.