MECHANISM OF ANTIBODY FORMATION 71 



steiner, 1945). In a series of studies, White and associates (White and 

 Dougherty, 1944; Dougherty, White and Chase, 1944, 1947; Dough- 

 erty, Chase and White, 1945; Chase, White and Dougherty, 1946; 

 White and Dougherty, 1946) recently reported that the increase in the 

 antibody content of the blood stream subsequent to the administra- 

 tion of anamnestic agents is not a new antibody formation but the re- 

 lease of antibody concentrated in the lymphocytes. The injection of 

 pituitary adrenotrophic hormone, or adrenal cortical extract caused 

 changes in the lymphocyte tissue structure, decrease in the lympho- 

 cytes in the lymphatic tissue, increase in serum protein concentration 

 and antibody titers. A chronic adrenotrophic hormone treatment 

 diminished lymphoid tissues, produced a consistent lymphopenia and 

 increased the serum protein levels. These changes did not occur in 

 adrenalectomized mice injected with adrenotrophic hormone, though 

 the lymphocytes of these same mice contained appreciable quantities 

 of antibody. These investigators pointed out that this hormonal control 

 of an important lymphocyte function integrates the role of lymphocyte 

 and adrenal cortex in maintaining certain normal protective mech- 

 anisms of the organism. 



Data show that one of the augmented serum protein fractions is that 

 containing antibodies. These relationships are said to be normally 

 under pituitary adrenotrophic hormone influence and may be altered 

 by a variety of stimuli aff^ecting pituitary-adrenal cortical activity, e.g., 

 non-specific protein injections, hemorrhage, toxic chemicals, etc. Some 

 of these have been demonstrated to produce pituitary-adrenal cortical 

 activation resulting in lymphoid tissue dissolution, lymphopenia, and 

 an increase in total serum proteins. Of these stimuli benzene and 

 arsenite were reported to be very effective in producing the above men- 

 tioned alterations in normal mice but were totally ineffective in 

 adrenalectomized or hypophysectomized mice. (See also Eisen et al, 

 1947.) 



The anamnestic response occurring within three to nine hours in 

 rabbits and mice following a single injection of either aqueous adrenal 

 cortical extract, adrenal cortical steroid in oil, or adrenotrophic hormone 

 showed both lymphocyte dissolution and globulin contribution to the 

 serum. In this manner, it was shown that antibodies are an integral 

 part of the lymphocytes, though not considered as evidence that 

 lymphocytes are necessarily concerned with antibody formation. 



