Suppression of the primary immune response by chemical sympathectomy

The effects of general sympathectomy with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) on antibody production to sheep red cells (SRBC) were studied in mice. Intraperitoneal administration of 6-OHDA in a dose of 1 to 300mg/kg resulted in a significant decrease in hemagglutinin titer and number of direct plaque-forming cells which were observed only in the early period of the primary immune response. Following treatment with 6-OHDA 10mg/kg i.p., the noradrenaline content in murine spleen was significantly reduced from 63 to 42% of control value between 2 and 10 days after injection indicating that chemical sympathectomy suppresses the primary immune response.