Effects of sodium valproate on the immune response

The effects of long-term treatment with sodium valproate (VAL) on humoral immunity (Jerne plaque assay) and the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response of mice were studied. The resistance of treated animals to bacterial infection was also investigated. Various doses of sodium valproate were administered intraperitoneally (on alternate days) for periods of 1, 3 and 7 weeks. Although treatment for 1 week produced no significant effect, VAL treatment (50 and 150 mg/kg/48 h) for periods of 3 and 7 weeks resulted in enhanced numbers of plaque-forming cells (PFC) per spleen and increased spleen weights (after 3 weeks treatment). In contrast, VAL pretreatment of spleen cells in vitro was without effect. Also, no effect of VAL on DTH was observed after 1 or 3 weeks treatment (150 mg/kg/48 h).