EFFECT OF PREPARATIONS OF HUMAN CHORIONIC-GONADOTROPIN ON LYMPHOCYTE STIMULATION AND IMMUNE-RESPONSE

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 33  (3) , 351-360
Abstract
Optimal concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) enhance the uptake of 3H-thymidine (TdR) by nu/nu and BALB spleen cells maintained in tissue culture. The enhancing effect of HCG is found with crude and pure hormone. At higher concentrations the uptake of label is inhibited. BALB spleen cells transformed by phytohemagglutinin P (PHA) incorporate less label in the presence of crude HCG. This inhibition is not found with pure HCG. The inhibitory effect on T [thymus-derived cells is probably due to a contaminant, whereas the enhancing effect on B [bone marrow-derived] cells may be due to the hormone itself. Crude HCG has the ability to influence the immune response of murine spleen cells elicited in vitro and in vivo against sheep red blood cells (SRBC). At low concentrations the crude hormone inhibits the immune response, while higher concentrations increase it. Appropriate amounts of the crude hormone induce an immune response in vitro against SRBC by nu/nu spleen cells. The daily administration of 200 IU/100 g i.p. of crude (2810 iu/mg) HCG suppresses the overt signs of an arthritic syndrome induced in Long-Evans rats by a mycobacterial [Mycobacterium tuberculosis] adjuvant. In the Sprague-Dawley strain, where the arthritic syndrome is much more pronounced, a daily dose of 4000 IU/100 g of crude HCG considerably attenuates the swelling of the hind-feet of adjuvant arthritic rats. No effect is observed when pure HCG (10,000 iu/mg) is applied in the same doses to Long-Evans adjuvant arthritic rats.