Effects of Carbamazepine on Murine Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses

Summary: Oral administration of carbamazepine (CBZ)(15, 10, or 5 mg/kg) to mice significantly decreased both humoral and cellular immune responses evaluated by enumeration of direct and indirect plaque-forming spleen cells (PFC) and delayed–type hypersensitivity reaction (DTH) against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) as compared with those observed in normal control animals. Moreover, spleen T cells obtained from CBZ–treated donor mice were capable of decreasing both PFC and DTH responses of normal spleen cells transferred into lethally irradiated recipient animals. The immunodepressor effect of CBZ was observed even though administration of CBZ induced augmentation of spleen cellularity.