Macrophage cytostasis and T and B cell blastogenic transformation in mice treated with nystatin

Treatment of normal BALB/c mice with nystatin, an amphoteric polyene, activated macrophages to become tumoricidal for MBL-2 lymphoblastic leukemia target cells while augmenting the in vitro blastogenic response of splenic lymphocytes to B and T cell mitogens. These responses were both shown to be highly dose dependent and occurred 6 days following the intraperitoneal injection of nystatin into normal mice. Macrophages from untreated mice did not show similar activity. The significance of these observations and the potential use of nystatin as a pharmacologic agent is discussed.