Effects exerted by prostaglandins and indomethacin on the immune response during aging.

The effect of in vitro addition of indomethacin, an inhibitor of the cyclooxygenase pathway, and of prostaglandin E1 and E2 on the proliferative capacity of phytohemagglutinin- and concanavalin A-stimulated spleen lymphocytes from young and old, long-lived (C3H X C57BL/10 RIII)F1 mice was investigated. Mitogen-activated splenocytes from old mice showed a different sensitivity to these drugs than splenocytes from young animals. Additionally, our data indicate that drugs can act either as inhibitors or as stimulators of mitogenesis, depending on the mitogen used, the dose of the drug, the age of the cell donor and the length of time in culture. It is suggested that prostaglandins of the E series may play a role in the pathogenesis of age-associated immune impairment.