Effect of incubation temperature on mitogen responses of lymphocytes from adult peripheral blood and from cord blood
Ashman, R.B.; Nahmias, A.J.
Clinical and Experimental Immunology 33(2): 319-326
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-9104 PMID: 719953 Document Number: 132253
Lymphocytes from normal adults, when cultured with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or Concanavalin (Con)A at 39.degree. C, showed an enhancement and earlier onset of 3H-thymidine incorporation compared with cultures incubated at 37.degree. C. The peak responses of cord blood lymphocytes incubated at 35.degree. C or 39.degree. C did not differ significantly from those incubated at 37.degree. C. Cultures of adult lymphocytes showed an exponential rise and fall in 3H-thymidine incorporation, which was much more rapid at 39.degree. C than at 37.degree. C. The kinetics of thymidine incorporation into mitogen-stimulated cord blood lymphocytes incubated 39.degree. C were similar to those at 37.degree. C. Temperature apparently acted predominantly on the proliferative phase of the transformation response. By inhibiting binding of Con A using methyl-.alpha.-D-mannopyranoside, activation of adult lymphocytes took place within the same time period at 39.degree. C and 37.degree. C. Cultures incubated at 37.degree. C for 3 days, and labeled for 4 h at 37.degree. C or 39.degree. C showed no significant difference in 3H-thymidine uptake, whereas cultures incubated at 39.degree. C for 3 days, and labeled for 4 h at 37.degree. C showed significantly higher responses than those incubated and labeled at 37.degree. C. The major increase in thymidine uptake occurred after incubation at 39.degree. C for the 2nd and 3rd days of culture. These findings were consistent with a shortening of the cell cycle at the higher temperature. The failure of cord blood lymphocytes to show increased thymidine uptake after incubation at 39.degree. apparently reflects an insensitivity to temperature of certain of them metabolic pathways involved in cell replication in the neonate.