Morphological and functional changes in mouse splenic lymphocytes following in vivo and in vitro exposure to chlorphentermine.

With repeated administration to animals, the cationic, amphiphilic drug, chlorphentermine (CP), has been shown by others to induce a phospholipidosis in lymphocytes. In the present study mouse splenic lymphocytes, exposed to CP, either in vivo or in vitro, developed morphological changes consistant with the induction of phospholipidosis. In addition, CP induced functional changes in lymphocytes. Mice, treated with CP in vivo, demonstrated a significantly depressed ability to generate a delayed hypersensitivity response or to produce antibody-secreting cells against de novo antigens. Mouse splenic lymphocytes, exposed to 10(-7) M CP for 3 days in vitro, demonstrated a significantly depressed blastogenic response to the mitogens phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide. CP inhibited an event that occurred early during lymphocyte activation, but was subsequent to mitogen/receptor coupling. In addition, CP significantly depressed the increased uptake of choline that occurs in lymphocytes following cellular activation. Since the presence of phospholipidosis is indicative of an impairment in phospholipid metabolism, these results taken together provide evidence for a relationship between this phenomenon and altered immune function.