In vivo self‐reactivity of mononuclear cells to T cells and macrophages exposed to HgCl2

Abstract

Mercuric chloride induces in Brown-Norway rats a polyclonal activation of B cells resulting in a lymphoproliferation and in the production of autoantibodies. Experiments were performed to test the role of cells modified by HgCl₂ in the induction of B cell proliferation by using the popliteal lymph node assay. Spleen cells, T cells and peritoneal macrophages exposed in vivo or in vitro to HgCl₂ induced a proliferation of T and B cells in the draining popliteal lymph node. Spleen cells from Lewis rats who received HgCl₂ were ineffective. These data suggest that modified cells could trigger autologous lymphocyte subsets and be responsible for autoimmunity induced by HgCl₂.