The effects of oral D-penicillamine treatment on experimental arthritis and the associated immune response in rabbits. II. The effects on cellular parameters.

Prolonged oral treatment (up to 410 days) of rabbits with D-penicillamine at a dose of 15 mg/kg body weight commencing either before or after immunization and the onset of arthritis, diminished and eventually abolished the delayed hypersensitivity response to intradermally administered tuberculin PPD. The 48 h cutaneous hypersensitivity response to the immunizing antigen (ovalbumin) was also significantly reduced, as was the inhibition of leucotye migration by ovalbumin. Cutaneous Arthus reactivity to ovalbumin was unaffected by D-penicillamine treatment. D-penicillamine treatment of normal rabbits was also found to increase the phagocytic index of the reticuloendothelial system as measured by carbon clearance.