Effect of thoracic duct drainage on the primary and secondary immune responses in rats

摘要

Rats were subjected to a 5-day period of lymph drainage from the thoracic duct. Although the primary response to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and diphtheria toxoid (DT) was greatly diminished or abolished, the ability to give a secondary response in rats primed 6–12 months prior to the thoracic duct (TD) cannulation was not affected. Possible reasons for this marked difference between sensitivities of primary and secondary responses to TD drainage are discussed.In addition it was shown that a 5-day period of TD drainage facilitated the induction of tolerance to DT.