Production of anti-SRBC antibodies after DDC administration in whole-body irradiated mice.

Production of antibody-forming cells (PFC) was studied in mice subjected to a single whole-body irradiation dose of 3.8 Gy after sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC, 800 mg/kg) injected 30 min before irradiation. Animals were immunized (1% SRBC) 4 h, 5 and 10 days after irradiation, and the number of PFC was determined by a modified Jerne plaque technique on days 4, 7 and 10 after immunization. After the irradiation alone, the PFC levels were markedly reduced at all time intervals in comparison with unirradiated controls. Upon immunization of animals on day 10 after irradiation the peak PFC levels were observed on day 7 after immunization in the only irradiated group and in the group irradiated after DDC administration (in controls on day 4 after immunization). Administration of DDC entirely eliminated the unfavourable effect of radiation if immunization was performed 4 h after irradiation, in terms of the number and the peak level of PFC. Upon immunization of animals on day 5 and day 10 after irradiation the PFC levels were not markedly influenced by DDC injection.