In Vitro Production of Diphtheria Antitoxin by Tissues of Immunized Animals

Abstract

Lymph node and spleen fragments and slices from immunized animals appeared to produce diphtheria antitoxin when placed in a suitable medium. Disruption of the tissues or inclusion in the medium of various inhibitors of oxidative metabolism such as cyanide or dinitrophenol resulted in complete inhibition of antibody production. Moreover, the in vitro process of antibody formation appeared to parallel both the in vivo process and the passive transfer reaction whereby antitoxin appeared in the blood of normal rabbits following the injection of lymph node or splenic cells from immunized animals. In fact, the striking parallels between the in vitro and passive transfer reactions suggested that these two reactions might be fundamentally similar. It appears that under the conditions employed the tissue fragments and slices continued in vitro the net synthesis of antitoxin initiated in vivo.