Effects of 5 -fluorouracil on mitogen -induced costimulatory capacity of accessory cells from rat oral mucosa and dental pulp

• Published in: Journal of oral pathology & medicine Vol. 30; no. 6; pp. 362 - 367
• Main Authors: v. Bültzingslöwen, Inger, Carlsson, Göran, Gustavsson, Bengt, Jontell, Mats
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Copenhagen Munksgaard International Publishers 01.07.2001; Blackwell
• Subjects: 5-fluorouracil; accessory cells; administration & dosage; Animals; Antigen-Presenting Cells; Antigen-Presenting Cells - drug effects; Antigen-Presenting Cells - immunology; Antimetabolites; Antimetabolites - administration & dosage; Antimetabolites - pharmacology; Antineoplastic agents; Basic Medicine; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Division; Cell Division - drug effects; Chemotherapy; Concanavalin A; Concanavalin A - pharmacology; cytology; dendritic cells; Dental Pulp; Dental Pulp - cytology; Dental Pulp - drug effects; drug effects; Epithelial Cells; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Female; Fluorouracil; Fluorouracil - administration & dosage; Fluorouracil - pharmacology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II - immunology; Immunocompetence; Immunocompetence - immunology; immunocompetent cells; immunology; Inbred Lew; Injections; Injections, Intravenous; Intravenous; Lymph Nodes; Lymph Nodes - cytology; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocyte Activation - drug effects; Medical sciences; Medicinska grundvetenskaper; Mitogens; Mitogens - administration & dosage; Mitogens - pharmacology; Mouth Mucosa; Mouth Mucosa - cytology; Mouth Mucosa - drug effects; Mouth. Exocrine and endocrine salivary glands. Teeth. Esophagus; oral mucosa; pharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Rats; Rats, Inbred Lew; Statistics as Topic; T-Lymphocytes; T-Lymphocytes - drug effects; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Vertebrates: digestive system; Antineoplastic agent; Cell proliferation; Rat; Mitosis; Mucosa; ENT disease; Diagnosis; Quantitative analysis; Fluorouracil; Immune system; Dendritic cell; Statistical analysis; Stomatology; Fluoropyrimidine derivatives; Rodentia; Accessory cell; Experimental study; Oral cavity; Vertebrata; Chemotherapy; Mammalia; Treatment; Animal; Pyrimidine derivatives; Oral cavity disease; Dental pulp
• ISSN: 0904-2512; 1600-0714
• DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0714.2001.300606.x

: The present study was designed to investigate the effect of the antimetabolite 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) on the capacity of the oral epithelium and the dental pulp to induce a mitogen‐driven T‐cell proliferation. Inbred Lewis rats were given 6 i.v. injections of 5‐FU (30 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg) over a period of 8 days. Suspensions of oral epithelial and dental pulpal cells were prepared. The costimulatory capacity of the accessory cells from treated animals was monitored by their ability to induce a mitogen (ConA)‐mediated proliferation of T cells isolated from regional lymph nodes of untreated animals. Accessory epithelial cells from rats treated with the high dose of 5‐FU, but not the low dose, induced a decreased T‐cell proliferation compared to controls. Accessory pulpal cells from rats, treated with 30 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg of 5‐FU, induced a lower T‐cell proliferation. When MHC class II molecule depleted T‐cell suspensions from lymph nodes of 5‐FU‐injected animals were incubated with ConA, a significant proliferative response was observed. This finding correlated with an increase of MHC class II molecule expressing cells detected after incubation, although no such cells were observed immediately following the initial purification step of T cells. This finding demonstrates that the accessory cells could partly restore their expression of MHC class II molecules during incubation. The results of the study suggest that the function of immunocompetent cells of the oral mucosa and dental pulp is influenced by treatment with 5‐FU and that the function of accessory cells of the pulp is affected more than the function of accessory cells derived from the oral mucosa.