INFLUENCE OF FLUMEQUINE ON IN-VIVO MITOGEN RESPONSES OF EUROPEAN EEL (ANGUILLA-ANGUILLA L, 1758) LYMPHOID-CELLS

The influence of flumequine on mitogen induced lymphoid cell prolifera tion in European eels (Anguilla anguilla L., 1758) was studied. For th is purpose an in vivo test, using peroral drug administration followed by successive intraperitoneal injections with concanavalin A (ConA) o r bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine, was applied. Direct counting of proliferated cells in blood smears reveal ed that flumequine possesses mitogenic properties. A synergistic and a n antagonistic effect of the drug was observed after LPS and ConA stim ulation, respectively, Flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood ly mphoid cells showed a significant reduction of the mean proportion sur face immunoglobulin positive cells in the flumequine-treated animals. it is concluded that flumequine enhances proliferation of lymphoid cel ls (probably surface immunoglobulin negative cells) in eel under the p resent experimental conditions.