Vitamin A: Adjuvant and Steroid Antagonist in the Immune Response

The effects of vitamin A and hydrocortisone on the immune response have been studied in the mouse. Vitamin A treatment alone markedly increases the normal number of antibody-forming cells generated in the spleen in response to immunization with sheep red blood cells. The antibody response to immunization with dinitrophenylated ovalbumin (DNP-OVA), a hapten-protein conjugate, is also enhanced by vitamin A pretreatment. Furthermore, the immunosuppressive effect of hydrocortisone on the response to sheep red blood cells can be prevented by simultaneous administration of vitamin A.