Aging affects oral tolerance induction but not its maintenance in mice.

B6D2F1 mice, which are very susceptible to tolerance induction by a single gavage with 20 mg of ovalbumin (Ova) at age 8 weeks, become less susceptible at age 25 weeks and totally refractory at age 70 weeks. However, 70-week-old mice may be rendered tolerant by repeated ingestion of Ova. Mice orally exposed to Ova at age 8 weeks remain tolerant at age 70 weeks. The isotypic pattern of anti-Ova antibodies formed by orally-tolerant and normal mice after immunization is similar and all isotypes are equally suppressed by oral tolerance. In old mice, oral exposures to Ova alone triggered an early transient antibody response; some of these responding animals were, nevertheless, tolerant to subsequent parenteral injection of Ova in adjuvant.