Proliferative and cytotoxic immune functions in aging mice. II. Decreased generation of specific suppressor cells in alloreactive cultures
Gottesman, S.R.; Walford, R.L.; Thorbecke, G.J.
Journal of Immunology 133(4): 1782-1787
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1767 PMID: 6206137 Document Number: 241504
The ability of spleen cells from aged C57BL/6 mice to generate specific suppressor cells in mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC) against allogeneic H-2 antigens was investigated. The suppressor cells from young and old mice were assayed in parallel for their ability to inhibit the proliferative response and the generation of cytotoxicity in fresh MLC. Suppressor cell generation was significantly decreased in 41% of aged mice (23-28 mo.) as compared to young controls (3-8 mo.). The suppressor cells were H-2-specific, radiation-resistant (1000 R) and Thy-1+; they did not function by lysing the fresh stimulators or responder cells, or by absorbing the interleukin 2 in the fresh cultures. Suppression required very small numbers of cells to be effective. The effect of aging was less marked on specific suppressor cell generation than on generation of cytotoxic T cells in the MLC. However, a 3rd type of response studied, the proliferative response, was affected earliest and most severely.