Effects of 6-hydroxydopamine upon primary and secondary thymus dependent immune responses.

Adult male mice were treated with various doses of 6-hydroxydopamine in order to assess the effects of this drug upon thymic dependent immunity. A consistent decrease in primary antibody titers to sheep erythrocytes was observed following treatment with this drug. Serum levels of thymosin alpha 1 were increased by day three after 6-OHDA with a return to normal by day five. Thymocyte terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase changes were biphasic with an initial decrease after 6-OHDA followed by an increase. Changes in mitogen responsiveness were observed but were not consistently reproducible. Involvement of both catecholamines and corticosteroids in bringing about these observed changes was discussed.