Suppressor cell activation by anti-thy 1.2 in NZB/WF1 mice
Klassen, L.W.; Zarate, A.; Gelfand, M.C.; Steinberg, A.D.
Journal of Immunology 119(6): 2067-2072
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1767 PMID: 334981 Document Number: 112802
A single injection of anti-Thy 1.2 serum was used to study the spontaneous loss of suppressor cells in NZB/WF1 mice. When given 1 day before primary allografting with C57BL/6 skin, anti-Thy 1.2 significantly prolonged mean graft survival (MGS) in 5 wk old NZB/NZWF1 graft recipients. Four times the dose of anti-Thy 1.2 was required to cause graft prolongation when compared with BALB/c recipients. In contrast to its graft-prolonging effect in 5 wk NZB/WF1 mice, anti-Thy 1.2 failed to prolong MGS in 17 or 34 wk old NZB/WF1 animals. Spleen cells from anti-Thy 1.2-treated 5 wk old NZB/WF1 mice could transfer suppression of graft rejection to otherwise untreated 5 wk old syngeneic recipients. This transfer required viable, radioresistant T [thymus-derived] cells. Although spleen cells from anti-Thy 1.2-treated 5 wk old mice transferred the suppression to 5 wk old recipients, the same cells were not effective if given to 17 wk old recipients. Spleen cells from 17 wk old pretreated donor mice were able to prolong MGS when given to the younger 5 wk old syngeneic recipients. The transfer studies of skin allograft prolongation by anti-Thy 1.2-treated spleen cells suggest that the ability to initiate suppressor cell activation is present in young and older NZB/WF1 mice, whereas suppressor effector mechanisms are deficient in the older mice. In addition to its usefulness in studying the details of suppressor cell action, the studies suggest that anti-Thy 1.2 treatment may be a valuable probe for the presence of suppressor cells and/or their precursors.