HUMORAL IMMUNOSTIMULATION : I. INCREASED UPTAKE OF [¹²⁵I]IODODEOXYURIDINE AND [³H]THYMIDINE INTO TNP-CELLS TREATED WITH ANTI-TNP ANTIBODY

Interaction of microgram quantities of highly purified rabbit anti-TNP antibodies with TNP-substituted HeLa, HEp-2, and L cells caused an intense stimulation of radioactive nucleoside ([¹²⁵I]UdR and [³H]TdR) uptake which was maximal 24–72 h after exposure of cells to antibody. The stimulation of nucleoside uptake and presumaly DNA synthesis was shown to be immuno logically mediated because unsubstituted cells were not stimulated by anti-TNP antibody, normal rabbit gamma globulin did not stimulate TNP-cells, and a hapten inhibitor, ϵ-DNP-lysine, prevented the stimulation of TNP-cells by anti-TNP antibody. These findings demonstrate that interaction of antibody with cell surface antigen can alter cell membrane transport, and possibly can enhance cell growth.