Modulatory effect of prostaglandin E2 on the immune response in mice, with special reference to anti-sperm immunity.

The intraperitoneal administration of prostaglandin E2 (PgE2) considerably delayed the rejection of allogeneic skin grafts, both in the primary (first set) and secondary (second set) reaction, and inhibited the production of plaque-forming cells after antigenic stimulation with sheep red blood cells. In addition, the treatment of mice with PgE2 during their immunization with allogeneic epididymal spermatozoa resulted in a markedly slower rejection of the following skin grafts from the donor's strain in comparison with the animals injected with spermatozoa only. Evidence was also found concerning the immunosuppressive effect of PgE2 on the humoral immune response against sperm antigens.

Reproductive immunology: a prospective marginal field of biomedical sciences.

This analytical overview attempts to cover the main achievements and trends in research and clinical investigation in animal and human reproductive immunology published in the 3-year period (1982-1985) between Fifth and Sixth Varna Symposia. New and successful steps have been made in immunodiagnostics, immunotherapy, and immunoprophylaxis of immunologically conditioned infertility. Considerable progress has been made in isolating and purifying immunogenic reproductive tract components that might be candidates in the preparation of contraceptive vaccines.

Further immunological studies on components of the kallikrein-kinin system. Immunomodulatory effect in mice.

Porcine pancreatic kallikrein and synthetic bradykinin usually applied for stimulation of sperm motility were administered in mice to study their effect on the immune response. Humoral immune response was recorded by the number of direct plaque-forming cells in spleen-cell suspension, and the cell-mediated immune response was determined by the survival rate of allogeneic skin grafts. Kallikrein exerted suppressive influence both on the primary and on the secondary humoral immune response accompanied by well-expressed splenomegaly but bradykinin stimulated the humoral immune response.