Enhancement in number and function of antigen-presenting cells in the lymphatic tissue of rats after in vivo administration of diphenylhydantoin (DPH).

We present a monoclonal IgG1 antibody, KiMy1R, which is specific for macrophages and their derivatives in the lymphatic tissue of the rat, and evaluate the distribution of subsets of mononuclear cells in popliteal and para-aortal lymph nodes of Wistar rats after injection of 50 mg DPH into the hindpads. Compared with resting lymphatic tissue and lymph nodes of animals treated with phenobarbital, DPH induced a significant increase (P less than 0.01) of the proportion of phagocytic cells. Furthermore, the soluble antigen alkaline phosphatase was traced after inoculation into the footpads of rats: in locoregional lymph nodes the percentage (mean 12.8/10(3] and the total number (mean 476 x 10(3) cells/lymph node) of cells with membrane-bound or intracytoplasmic alkaline phosphatase, as detected by a monoclonal anti-alkaline phosphatase antibody, were significantly higher (P less than 0.001) in animals pretreated with DPH than in rats pretreated with phenobarbital (mean 2.1/10(3); 31.2 x 10(3) cells/lymph node) and in untreated animals (mean 1.9/10(3); 4.1 x 10(3) cells/lymph node). If verified in humans, the effect of DPH in enhancing the number and function of macrophages and other antigen-presenting cells may exert favourable effects in patients with impairment of the mononuclear phagocytic system.