Depression of natural killer activity and mitogen responsiveness in mice treated with pristane.

In BALB/c mice, the injection of pristane resulted in a severe decrease in splenic T and B cell proliferative responses to mitogens and in a depression of natural killer (NK) activity. The effects of T and B cells, which persisted for at least 5 mo, were mediated by different mechanisms. T cell responsiveness to PHA dropped significantly below control levels 1 wk after the first of three monthly pristane injections, whereas B cell proliferation in response to LPS did not decrease until 4 wk after the first injection. The removal of plastic-adherent suppressor cells completely restored T cell proliferative capacity, but had no effect on B cells. NK activity against YAC-1 tumor targets was reduced 1 mo after the first pristane injection and remained depressed for at least 3 mo. This depression was not mediated by plastic-adherent suppressor cells. Spleen cell NK activity from pristane-treated mice could not be augmented by the interferon inducer Poly I:C to the same extent as that of control mice. This suggests an effect of pristane on either pre-NK cells or on cells that regulate NK activity.