[Pentagastrin as a stimulator of immunogenesis].

It has been shown that subcutaneous injection of pentagastrin to mice in doses 0.01-5 micrograms per animal during 10 days resulted in a considerable stimulation of the immune response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC). Pentagastrin in doses of 5 and 1 micrograms per animal was demonstrated to have the highest immunostimulating effect. These doses increased the production of IGM-antibody-forming cells 2.2-2.7-fold and produced a twofold elevation of the antibody titer. Pentagastrin did not influence the immune response to thymus independent Vi-antigen. The in vitro treatment of mouse bone marrow cells with pentagastrin (0.1 or 0.01 microgram/ml) increased the number of Thy-1 positive cells from 0 to 16-17%. Pentagastrin at a dose of 0.001 microgram/ml was not effective.