Effects of 3α- and 3β-galactosylated α-g galactosylceramides on the immune system

We compared effects of a-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer) and its 3 alpha- or 3 beta-galactosylated derivatives on the proliferation of murine spleen cells. The 3 alpha-galactosylated alpha-GalCer showed stronger proliferative response than the parental alpha-GalCer, but the 3 beta-galactosylated alpha-GalCer possessed weaker activity than the alpha-GalCer. In addition, alpha-Gal-3-Cer did not show immunostimulatory activity. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.