Antigen induced alterations in splenic prostaglandin and cyclic nucleotide levels in NZB mice.

Studies were undertaken in order to determine if NZB mice injected with sheep erythrocyte antigens would respond by showing elevated splenic prostaglandin and cyclic nucleotide levels similar to that observed in normal mice. The results show that young NZB mice can respond to sheep erythrocytes by yielding increased levels of splenic PGF2alpha and cAMP. However, because of increased basal levels of PGF2alpha and cAMP, the net increase observed is lower than that observed with normal mice. In old NZB mice exhibiting signs of disease (splenomegaly) and in which defects in immune competence are known to occur, the injection of SRBC results in in no increase in splenic PGF2alpha levels and a decrease in cAMP levels. These animals also have greatly elevated basal levels of PGF2alpha, cAMP, and cGMP. It is concluded that the cellular immune defect in NZB mice is reflected by their faulty metabolic responses to sRBC. Also, the altered basal levels of PG and cyclic nucleotides may be related to the altered cellular immune competence. The latter conclusion is supported by the reduced capacity of spleen cells from young NZB mice to respond to PGE by increasing cAMP levels and by the lack of an effect of inhibitors of PG synthesis on the immune response to sRBC in both young and old NZB mouse spleen cell cultures.