Procainamide induces a transitory impairment of B cell mitogenesis in beagle dogs.

Beagle dogs (3 to 6 years old) were treated with 100-150 mg procainamide HC1/kg/day. After 2, 5, and 9 months of treatment, peripheral blood lymphocytes were isolated and stimulated with pokeweed mitogen. The data demonstrated a suppression of mitogenesis only at 2 and 5 months after procainamide treatment. The lymphocytes from dogs treated for 9 months had a normal response to pokeweed mitogen. At no time during this experiment were any significant levels of serum antinuclear antibodies detected nor was any change in the number of cycling lymphocytes apparent in the experimental versus control groups. The resting membrane potential of both control and experimental groups was similar and pokeweed mitogen depolarized the cells from both groups.