Anamnestic chemiluminescence of murine spleen cells.

The oxidative response of murine spleen cells to secondary exposure to antigen was determined by luminol (5-amino-2,3-dihydro-1,4-pthalazinedione) amplified chemiluminescence, CL. BALB/cj and CBA/J mice were immunized with saline or an antigen solution of saline, luminol, and bovine serum albumin. Spleen cells were obtained from mice two and four days after immunization, and the CL response to in vitro antigenic exposure was measured for 35 minutes. At two days post-immunization, there was no difference in the CL of control and antigen-primed cells. By day four, the antigen-primed CL response differed significantly in both magnitude and time course from the primary antigen-stimulated response of the controls. This early development of differential CL response to antigenic challenge suggests a role for oxidative metabolic activity in the expression of the anamnestic immune response.