Plasmodium berghei: reduction of the mouse's specific lymphoproliferative response in relation to corticosterone and pregnancy

Spleen cells from mice immune to Plasmodium berghei exhibited a significantly increased in vitro proliferative response to parasitized reticulocytes compared to spleen cells from normal mice. The specific response to malaria antigen was decreased in spleen cells from pregnant immune mice in contrast to the nonspecific response to the mitogen phytohemagglutinin. Addition of mouse serum to spleen cell cultures of immune mice depressed both the phytohemagglutinin and the specific proliferative response, whereas serum of pregnant mice exerted an even stronger inhibition than serum of nonpregnant mice. Charcoal adsorption of mouse sera for the elimination of steroid hormones removed the serum dependent immunosuppression from normal as well as pregnant serum. Corticosterone added to the spleen cell cultures depressed also the proliferative response. These findings demonstrate that the response to malaria antigen is decreased in immune mice during pregnancy. The possible effect of serum corticosterone on the depression of the immune response is discussed.