Effects of thymomimetic drugs and zinc supplementation on the cellular immune response in hydrocortisone-suppressed mice.

The studies were carried out on Balb/c mice (5-6 weeks of age) exposed to immunosuppression by a single intraperitoneal dose (125 mg/kg) of hydrocortisone. Prior to hydrocortisone injection the mice were treated with diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC) intra-peritoneally at a dose of 20 mg/kg, five times at 48 h intervals or calf thymus extract (TFX) at a dose of 10 mg/kg, 10 times at 24 h intervals. The two drugs were used per se or in zinc ions interactions, by adding zinc ions (as sulphate salt) to drinking water at a dose of 72 microg/mouse per day.

The effect of a peat-based preparation on mitogen-induced proliferation of thymocytes in non-treated and hydrocortisone-suppressed mice.

The studies were carried out on Balb/c mice (5-6 weeks of age) treated with a peat-based preparation (PBP), administered i.p. once or four times at 24 h intervals at doses of 0.

Effects of lysozyme dimer on humoral response to sheep erythrocytes in non-treated and cyclophosphamide-immunosuppressed mice.

The effects of lysozyme dimer on humoral response to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) and restoration of the response impaired by a single cyclophosphamide dose (200 mg/kg) were tested on mice. The effect of lysozyme dimer on the humoral response to SRBC in non-treated with cyclophosphamide mice was determined in relation to doses (0.2, 2, 20 or 200 micrograms/kg) and the time of the drug administration with respect to the antigen before or after SRBC immunization.

Modulation of secondary antibody response in SRBC-immunized mice by lysozyme dimer.

The effect of lysozyme dimer (20 micrograms/kg) injected i.p. once or four times to sheep erythrocytes-immunized mice on the secondary humoral response was studied with respect to the time of exposure to the drug in relation to priming and challenge.

The effect of DTC on mitogen-induced proliferation of thymocytes in restrained mice. Comparison with calf thymus extract.

The cardinal sign of acute stress is thymic involution, which subsequently attenuates the activity of immunocompetent cells, notably T-lymphocytes, macrophages and NK cells. Sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC), a low molecular weight sulphur compound, may function as a thymic hormone to induce precursor cells to become functionally mature T-lymphocytes. The studies were conducted on Balb/c mice exposed to restraint stress twice for 12 h at 24 h intervals.