Effects of simple imidazoles on human peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated by mitogen or allogeneic cells

Five imidazole compounds were added to cultures of human lymphocytes which had been stimulated to undergo blast transformation by exposure to phytohaemagglutinin, pokeweed mitogen or allogeneic cells. Two compounds, clotrimazole and dacarbazine (DTIC) produced a dose related suppression of these responses. Nimorazole was largely inactive whereas metronidazole and tinidazole actually enhanced the response--at least in those cultures stimulated by the plant mitogens. It is suggested that experiments of this kind are helpful in identifying those imidazole compounds that could be used as immunosuppressants in vivo.