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

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.