RECOVERY OF DECREASED ANTIBODY-PRODUCTION BY CERULOPLASMIN IN THE MACULAR MUTANT MOUSE

The macular mutant mouse is a murine model of Menkes' kinky hair disea se, characterized by a serum copper and ceruloplasmin deficiency The h emizygote (ml/y) had a decreased antibody response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC). 1) In vivo; the administration of ceruloplasmin recovere d antibody production in ml/y mice, but, had no effect on that of norm al mice (+/y). The administration of heat treated ceruloplasmin did no t increase antibody production in ml/y mice, whereas the administratio n of various concentrations of copper suppressed the anti-SRBC plaque- forming response in both ml/y and +/y mice. 2) in vitro; ceruloplasmin had no effect upon antibody production against SRBC in both ml/y and +/y mouse spleen cells. In contrast to ceruloplasmin, 1 mug/ml of copp er inhibited the antibody production in spleen cells from both +/y and ml/y mice as well as in vivo. These findings suggested that the decre ased antibody production in ml/y mice was considered to be due the dec reased ceruloplasmin.