Effects of salicylates and other drugs on experimental serum disease

Vitamin A inhibits some aspects of systemic disease due to local x-radiation

We have previously reported that supplemental vitamin A ameliorates the stress response to a wide variety of noxious agents. The present study was carried out to determine how supplemental vitamin A influences the course of radiation sickness in C3H female mice subjected to 3000 R irradiation of one lower hind limb. All mice ingested a chow diet containing about 13,000 units of vitamin A/kg diet (about half as preformed vitamin A and half as beta-carotene) which supports normal growth, development, and reproduction of normal mice. One hundred fifty thousand units of vitamin A/kg chow was added for the vitamin A supplemented mice. All mice ate and drank ad libitum. The supplemental vitamin A feeding was begun either 3 days before radiation or immediately after radiation. There were no significant differences in the effects of these two regimens. The supplemental vitamin A prevented the weight loss, moderated the adrenal hypertrophy, prevented the thymic involution, and lessened the lymphopenia due to radiation. We conclude that supplemental vitamin A has both prophylactic and therapeutic benefits in radiation-induced disease.

Inhibition of the secondary antibody response in vitro by salicylate and gentisate

Salicylate inhibition of the secondary antibody response initiated in vitro on day 0 has been studied in cultures of rabbit lymph node fragments. Levels of 1.25 to 1.5 mM (0.20 to 0.24 mg/ml) sodium salicylate present in serum-free medium throughout an 18- or 21-day culture period completely inhibit the secondary response. This inhibition is largely accomplished by the drug's action during the first 9 days, which corresponds to the inductive phase for this culture system. Relatively little inhibition is produced by adding the drug only after day 9, although over 90% of the antibody produced during a 21-day experiment is synthesized after day 9. Studies with media of different pH's show that this inhibition is more correctly a function of the nonionized salicylic acid concentration in the medium than of the total salicylate concentration. Arguments are presented against the possibility that salicylate at the levels used here inhibits antibody synthesis by uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation. Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) produces the same degree of inhibition in vitro as do equimolar concentrations of sodium salicylate. Gentisate (5-hydroxysalicylate) is 15-fold more effective in producing 50% inhibition than salicylate; its temporal pattern of inhibition is similar to that of salicylate.