Effect of gangliosides on primary and secondary plaque-forming cells responses and on suppressor T-cells induction.

This study was designed to determine the suppressive effect of bovine brain gangliosides on primary and secondary anti-sheep red blood cell (SRBC) plaque-forming cells (PFC) response. Spleen cells from inbred C57BL/6J mice were used as sources of lymphocytes. The result showed that levels of gangliosides at 50 and 100 micrograms/ml suppressed primary anti-SRBC PFC responses about 30% and 60%, respectively, of normal control. In contrast, secondary anti-SRBC PFC were not suppressed by the same levels of gangliosides. Likewise, PFC response from mixing SRBC-primed T-cells with naive B-cells was not suppressed by gangliosides. In addition, induction of suppressor T-cells was reduced by 50 and 100 micrograms/ml of gangliosides, 57% and 63%, respectively, versus 86% of suppression of PFC response by the control suppressor T-cells. These results further suggest the role of gangliosides as immunomodulators.