The Effect of Early Treatment with Methyl-CCNU on the Lymphoid Organs and the Humoral Immune Response in Chickens

Abstract

Presented are data upon the effect of a single or multiple administration of methyl-CCNU (a nitrosourea derivative, an alkylating agent, and anti-cancer drug) to newly-hatched chicks. Lethal and sublethal doses of methyl-CCNU caused temporary suppression of bone-marrow activity and temporary damage to the lymphoid organs, of which the bursa was apparently the most sensitive. The decreased weight and the morphological changes observed in the bursa of treated chicks were accompanied by a parallel decrease in serum γ-globulins level. The humoral immune response of animals treated with me-CCNU to sheep red blood cells and to killed Brucella abortus organisms was impaired in about 30% of the treated animals examined 8–10 weeks following 2 injections of 3 mg me-CCNU (given at the day of hatching and the next day). The thymus recovered rather rapidly from treatment. The time schedule of mortality and the early and late toxic manifestations of the drug as observed in chickens, in this study, are similar to previous reports obtained in mammals. Prolonged effects, however, were noted to some extent on body and spleen weight, and most dramatically, on testicular weight, morphology, and function.