Influences of the submaxillary gland of male mice on the immune response to sheep red blood cells

Summary Removal of the submaxillary gland (SMG) from male but not female mice caused a suppressed immune response to sheep red blood cells. Administration of a SMG saline extract from male mice to SMG-ectomized males restored the suppressed response to control levels. This suggests that the male mouse SMG contains a factor(s), possibly of an endocrine nature, capable of influencing cells involved in an immune response.