1. Thermal Regulation of the Immune Response in South American Toads <em>Bufo marinus</em>.
- Author
-
Lin, H. H. and Rowlands Jr., D. T.
- Subjects
- *
RHINELLA marina , *IMMUNE response , *BACTERIOPHAGES , *TEMPERATURE control , *ANTIGENS , *IMMUNOGLOBULINS , *SERUM , *IMMUNOLOGY - Abstract
Thermal regulation of the immune response was studied in toads following single injections of bacteriophage f2. The immune response was markedly inhibited in animals kept at 15° as compared to the controls (25°). The appearance of serum antibodies was delayed in animals kept at 15° for the first post-immunization week but their peak antibody levels were similar to those in toads maintained at 25° throughout. Transfer of animals from 25° to 15° 2 weeks after immunization only temporarily depressed the serum antibody levels but caused a marked delay in conversion from heavy to light antibodies. Our results are in keeping with the hypothesis that lowered environmental temperatures inhibit a variety of metabolic processes which may be concerned with the utilization of antigen and/or the synthesis of antibodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1973