Humoral immunostimulation. I. Increased uptake of (125I)iododeoxyuridine and (3H)thymidine into TNP-cells treated with anti-TNP antibody.

Interaction of microgram quantities of highly purified rabbit anti-TNP antibodies with TNP-substituted HeLa, HEp-2, and L cells caused an intense stimulation of radioactive nucleoside ([(125)I]UdR and [(3)H]TdR) uptake which was maximal 24-72 h after exposure of cells to antibody. The stimulation of nucleoside uptake and presumaly DNA synthesis was shown to be immuno logically mediated because unsubstituted cells were not stimulated by anti-TNP antibody, normal rabbit gamma globulin did not stimulate TNP-cells, and a hapten inhibitor, epsilon-DNP-lysine, prevented the stimulation of TNP-cells by anti-TNP antibody. These findings demonstrate that interaction of antibody with cell surface antigen can alter cell membrane transport, and possibly can enhance cell growth.