The modulation of murine immune responses by methyl-B₁₂

Abstract

We have previously presented that methyl-B₁₂ augments the din vitro IgM antibody response to SRBC and potentiates the proliferative response of lymphocytes to mitogens. In this paper the effects of several cobalamins and levamisole as well as methyl-B₁₂ in the in vitro antibody formation were evaluated, and it was shown that potentiating activity of methyl-B₁₂ was comparable to that of levamisole and highest in four cobalamins tested. In addition, the augmentative effect of methyl-B₁₂ in anti-SRBC PFC response was found not to be dependent on the increase of cell viability. Methyl-B₁₂ also potentiates the proliferative response of lymphocytes induced by 2μg/ml of ConA and these activated lymphocytes were found to show the suppressive effect to antibody response to SRBC. We suggest that suppressive effect of methyl-B₁₂ in experimental allergic encephalomyelitis reported by other investigators may be correlated to the potentiation in the generation of supnressor T cells.