mice: Apoptozole (Az) enhances antibody production in mice administered with protein antigens. In an initial study aimed at evaluating the effect of Az on the immune response to antigens, C57BL/6 mice which lack an immunoglobulin G2a (IgG2a) gene were intraperitoneally (i.p.) immunized with each of the two immunogenic protein antigens, keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and ovalbumin (OVA). Various amounts (0–7.55 mg/kg mouse) of Az were then i.p. injected daily five times from 0 to 4 days after antigen immunization.

In order to determine if apoptozole (Az) stimulates production of infammatory cytokines in antigen presenting cells (APCs), RAW264.7 cells, a mouse macrophage cell line, were incubated with 3 μM of Az for 3, 6 and 12 h. The released cytokines were determined by using a multiplex cytokine assay. The results reveal that Az treatment enhances the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and IL-18. Notably, Az treatment induces more secretion of TNF-α from RAW264.7 cells. In addition, the level of TNF-α production was found to be Az dose-dependent. The results suggested, that Az stimulated APCs to produce TNF-α, which subsequently mediated IFN-γ and IL-6 production from other types of immune cells.