IMMUNE SUPPRESSION INDUCED BY 4-NITROQUINOLINE 1-OXIDE AND ITS DERIVATIVES

Abstract

Effect of 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide and its derivatives on immune response in mice was studied. Intraperitoneal administration of oncogenic 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide and 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline 1-oxide after antigenic stimulation suppressed the immune response to bacterial α-amylase. The dose dependence of immune suppression with 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide was different from that with 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline 1-oxide. The immune suppression was most clearly observed in mice treated with 0.1ml of 0.05% suspension once a week, among the experiments with 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide. Mice injected with 0.1ml of 0.1% suspension of the agent twice a week showed almost the same magnitude of the immune response with that of the control group. On the contrary, treatment with 0.1ml of 0.1% suspension of 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline 1-oxide twice a week caused more clear immune suppression than treatment with 0.1ml of 0.05% suspension of the reagent. Non-oncogenic 4-aminoquinoline 1-oxide had no immunosuppressive effect at any doses tested in the present studies.