[Restitution of the immune response by macrophages following administration of immunodepressants to mice].

A study was made of the restitution by peritoneal macrophages of the primary immune response in the organism of C3H mice immunized with bacteriophage T2 after the depressive effects of actinomycin D, olivomycin, rifamycin, chloroquin, chloramphenicol, of the histone F2a fraction and LPS. The cell transfer technique was used for studying the capacity of macrophages from normal mice to restitute the antibody synthesis in mice given immunosuppressive drugs. In cell transfer experiments the recipients immunosuppressed by drugs were capable of initiating a normal primary response to bacteriophage T2 when given macrophages from normal donors. The data obtained with the drug-treated recipients supported the concept that the antigen processing by the macrophage was necessary for initiating a primary type immune respones; they also demonstrated the selective susceptibility of macrophages to the immunosuppressive drugs.