Evaluation of allergenic potential of low-molecular compounds by mouse popliteal lymph node assay

In the present study, the correlation between mouse PLNA results and those obtained from GP-PCA and from GP-ASA reactions for sodium 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonate dihydrate (TNBS), penicillin G and cephalothin was investigated. Next, various drugs were tested using the mouse PLNA to study whether PLN reactivity could be related to the potential of the compounds to induce allergic and autoimmune disorders in humans. The parameter of the PLNA was determined by the PLN cellularity index in BALB/c and A/J mice treated with a single subcutaneous injection of compounds. Hartley guinea pigs were immunized subcutaneously with the compounds without adjuvant, and then the GP-PCA and GP-ASA reactions were assessed. The examinations using mice and guinea pigs showed that mouse PLN responses to TNBS, penicillin G and cephalothin correlated with the allergenicity responses obtained in the GP-PCA reaction to three compounds. In the mouse PLNA, ten drugs considered to be well-known inducers of allergic side-effects in humans (i.e., penicillin G, cephalothin, ampicillin, carbenicillin, cefazolin, cefotaxime, streptomycin, 4-aminoantipyrine, chlorhexidine and sulfamethoxazole) caused increases in PLN cellularity indices as well. These results indicate that the PLNA may be useful as a short-term and simple test system for detecting low-molecular drugs exhibiting allergenicity potential.