[Interferon production and natural killer activity induced by staphylococcal enterotoxin in mouse spleen cells]

After a single intraperitoneal inoculation of C57BL/6 mice with enterotoxin A of Staphylococcus aureus (SEA) the activity of natural killers (NK) increases and phase change of interferon production by spleen cells upon reinduction in vitro occurs. Multiple daily inoculations of mice with SEA maintain the activity of splenic NK at a similar high level. With an adequate control (multiple administration of the medium) NK activity was maintained at the same high level. Interferon production by spleen cells of mice which were multiply inoculated with the medium upon reinduction in vitro was the same as in the control animals, whereas after multiple inoculations of mice with SEA, spleen cells in vitro produced lower amounts of interferon.