[Effect of mitogens on suppression of antibody formation and proliferation in dense cultures]

A study was made of the effect of mitogens on general proliferation and primary immune response to sheep red blood cells in density-inhibited cultures of mouse spleen cells. The mitogens applied included fetal calf serum and both B cell- and T cell-specific mitogens (dextran sulfate, LPS and ConA). Experiments with 3H-thymidine incorporation demonstrated that the proliferation was equally enhanced by any mitogen in both optimal and density-inhibited cultures. The mitogens did not remove the density inhibition of antibody formation.