Orchidectomy and the immune response II. Response of orchidectomized mice to antigens

Abstract

The responses of orchidectomized mice to several antigens have been investigated. Orchidectomy was associated with an accelerated rejection of skin allograft, which was prevented by androgen administration, abrogated by anti-lymphocyte serum and potentiated by cyclophosphamide. Reactivity of orchidectomized mice to oxazolone, sheep red blood cells and graft versus host disease, which are limited by thymus-processed cells, was increased whereas production of antibodies to bovine serum albumen, skin allografts and pneumococcal polysaccharide was unchanged. It is proposed that orchidectomy augments cell mediated immune responses, but has no direct effect on responses transacted mainly by B cells. The effect of cyclophosphamide may be due to the withdrawal of a restraining influence on cell mediated immunity normally exercised by humoral antibody.