Mitogenic responses of splenic B and T lymphocytes in neonatally capsaicin-treated mice.

The proliferative response of spleen cells from neonatally capsaicin-treated mice to 5 mitogens (LPS, PWM, dextran sulfate, ConA and PHA) were tested. Both B- and T-lymphocyte responses were essentially unaffected by the capsaicin treatment, which is known to destroy certain small-sized neuropeptide containing primary sensory neurons. However, the capsaicin-treated mice displayed a shift in the dose response to PHA so that the maximal response was obtained with a lower dose of the mitogen. The results exclude major effects of the affected sensory neurons on the development or expression of immune competence, but point to a possible modulatory effect on some step in the response to PHA.