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Cellular and Humoral Aspects of the Influence of Environmental Temperature on the Immune Response of Poikilothermic Vertebrates¹

From The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, 3050, Australia

Abstract

A study was made of the influence of environmental temperature on the immune response of a poikilothermic vertebrate, the marine toad (Bufo marinus). Three days after intraperitoneal injection of horse erythrocytes (HRBC) toads maintained at 20°C produced as many splenic anti-HRBC rosette-forming cells (RFC) as toads kept at 37°C. However, the number of splenic RFC declined rapidly after day 3 when toads were maintained at 20°C. In addition, the appearance of circulating hemagglutinins was retarded or suppressed in animals kept in a 20°C environment. Temperature shifts from 20°C to 37°C or 37°C to 20°C on the 3rd day after immunization resulted in a corresponding increase or decrease in splenic RFC and circulating antibodies on day 6.

The results indicate that temperature may influence discrete events in the naturation of immunocompetent cells.

Footnotes

¹ This work was supported by the Australian Research Grants Committee and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.

² Post doctoral Fellow, Damon Runyon Memorial Fund for Cancer Research.