Nucleases in immunity. II. Ineffectiveness of exogenous RNase on the antibody plaque response of immunized mice.

The effect of bovine ribonuclease on the immune response of mice to sheep erythrocytes was studied. Mice were injected either with a polyribonuclease (poly-RNase) complex once before immunization, or with multiple daily injections of soluble RNase before and after immunization. The number of individual haemolysin-forming cells in the spleens of the animals was determined, as were the serum antibody titres to the erythrocytes. There was no evidence of an immunosuppressive effect in any of the treated animals, as compared to normal, non-treated controls, under conditions in which a marked immunosuppression had been noted in other studies.