Increased primary cell-mediated immunity in culture subsequent to adriamycin or daunorubicin treatment of spleen donor mice.

Spleen cell populations from mice treated with Adriamycin or daunorubicin were found to develop a greater complement-independent cellular cytotoxic immune response during culture with allogeneic tumor cells than spleen cells from untreated or cyclophosphamide-treated animals. A temporal and drug dose dependence of this effect was demonstrated. The changes in spleen cell population occurring in the donor mice consequent to drug treatment were evident in the nylon woll-adherent fraction of the spleen cells. The results are consistent with the possibility that the concentration of specific progenitor or accessory cells in the spleen is increased consequent to drug treatment.