[Effect of bruneomycin on the immune response induced in mice by various antigens]

The effect of the antitumor antibiotic bruneomycin on antibody formation in response to immunization with sheep red blood cells and E. coli lipopolysaccharide was studied on mice. Marked suppression of the primary immune response following parenteral injection of the antibiotic before antigen stimulation and activation of antibody genesis due to oral administration of the drug in doses of 1 to 2 mg/kg was observed. An increase in the absolute and relative numbers of the antibody forming cells (AFC) in the spleen after the antibiotic oral administration in spite of a lowered total number of lymphocytes in it suggested that the AFC precursors (B-lymphocytes) were resistant to bruneomycin.