INCREASE OF MURINE SPLENIC NATURAL ANTIBODY-SECRETING CELLS AFTER CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE TREATMENT

Administration of a low sub-immunosuppressive dose of cyclophosphamide (CY) to naive mice induced a marked increase in the number of splenic cells forming natural antibodies against unrelated antigens such as f oot-and-mouth disease virus, keyhole limpet hemocyanin, horseradish pe roxidase, or bovine serum albumin, as determined by an enzyme-linked i mmunosorbent assay spot technique. These results suggest that in mice there exists a repertoire of B cells forming natural antibodies which is restrained by an unknown mechanism and that CY is able to interfere with that restriction. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.