The effects of extracts from licorice (Glycyrrhisa glabra), great nettle (Urtica dioica), common burdock (Arctium lappa), and bur marigold (Bidens tripartite) on the humoral and cellular immune response and nonspecific resistance in mice were studied. Burdock and bur marigold extracts stimulated the humoral immune response, nettle and licorice extracts stimulated cellular response and nonspecific resistance, their effects being superior to those of pharmacopoeial Echinacea purpurea tincture.
Single intraperitoneal injection of cyclophosphamide in a maximum permissible dose (250 mg/kg) followed by immunization wih thymus-dependent antigen (sheep erythrocytes) markedly suppressed the formation of antibody-producing cells in the spleen, especially at early stages of cytostatic disease, and delayed the synthesis of specific antibodies in male CBA/CaLac mice. Platidiam (cisplatin) injected in comparable doses 4 days before immunization practically did not suppress the formation of antibody-producing cells and their functional activity, but being injected 30 days before immunization reduced the number of antibody-producing cells.
Quantitative composition and functional activity of immunocompetent cells differ in mice of different strains. The counts of T cells in the bone marrow and spleen, proliferative activity of T cells in the spleen, levels of IL-2 and IL-10 production by splenic T cells, number of antigen-specific T cells and their functional activity are low in C57Bl/6, BALB/c, and CC57W mice and high in CBA/CaLac, DBA/2, and C3H animals. Low phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages was detected in BALB/c and CC57W mice and high activity in C3H animals. The content of antibody-producing cells in the spleens of C57Bl/6, BALB/c, and CC57W mice is higher than in CBA/CaLac, DBA/2, C3H, A/SN, and AKR/JY mice. Functional activity of B cells is lower in BALB/c and CC57W compared to CBA/CaLac and DBA/2 mice.
The responses of immunocompetent cells to thymus-dependent antigen differ in mice of different strains. Immunization stimulated phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages in CBA/CaLac, DBA/2, and BALB/c mice and suppressed it in CC57W mice. By the formation of antibody-producing cells in the spleen in response to thymus-dependent antigen DBA/2 and CBA/CaLac mice can be classified as high responders, BALB/c mice as medium-responders, and C57Bl/6 and CC57W mice as low responders.
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