Cellular determinants of mammary cell-mediated immunity in the rat. I. The migration of radioisotopically labeled T lymphocytes
Manning, L.S.; Parmely, M.J.
Journal of Immunology 125(6): 2508-2514
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1767 PMID: 6968787 Document Number: 157070
Migration of T lymphoblasts isolated from gut-associated mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) was compared with that of their counterparts recovered from cervical lymph nodes (CLN). When labelled with [3H]thymidine and adoptively transferred to lactating recipients, MLN and CLN T lymphoblasts demonstrated equal affinities for the mammary gland, suggesting that the mammary gland can draw from both intestinal and peripheral circulating pools of T cells. T cell migration to the mammary gland increased by 7 to 10-fold with the onset of lactation and remained high during the first 2 wk post partum. Activation of MLN and CLN T cells by preculture with concanavalin A greatly increased the proportion of large cells but did not alter cell accumulation in mammary tissues. Results suggest that cell-mediated immunity in the mammary gland may not depend solely on oral immunization for its immunological specificity.