Sex difference in delayed footpad reaction to syngeneic testicular cells in C3H/He mice.

Delayed footpad reaction against syngeneic testicular cells was compared between males and virgin females of C3H/He mice. Mice were immunized subcutaneously with 1 x 10(7) of syngeneic testicular cells and the reaction was elicited with 1 x 10(6) of syngeneic testicular cells 6 days after the immunization. When mice were pretreated with 0, 25 or 50 mg/kg of cyclophosphamide (CY), the delayed footpad reaction was detected in female mice, but not in male mice under the same conditions. This sex difference in the reaction to testicular cells was not attributed to the recognition of H-Y antigen by female mice. A sex difference in the reaction to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) was not observed. The sex difference in the reaction to testicular cells was attributed to testicular cells other than sperm because a sex difference was not detected against sperm. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the tolerance phenomena of autologous testicular cells.