Elevated antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and its inhibition by nicotinamide in the diabetic NOD mouse

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) by splenic mononuclear cells was measured in female non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice and age-matched ICR mice. No significant difference in ADCC activities was observed between the two groups when all the NOD mice were pre-diabetic. ADCC activities in diabetic NOD mice were significantly higher than those in age-matched ICR mice (P less than 0.001). Nicotinamide, known to prevent the diabetes of the NOD mouse, strongly inhibited ADCC by the mononuclear cells from diabetic NOD mice. Kinetic studies revealed that the inhibition was non-competitive.