Primary in vitro antibody formation in the rat: partial characterization and properties of an inhibitor cell present in normal spleen

Suppression of inflammation by cyclosporin A is mediated via a T lymphocyte-independent process

An athymic mutant rat strain was used to examine the hypothesis that modification of diseases with an inflammatory component by cyclosporin A (CsA) results from the suppression of nonspecific inflammatory mechanisms, rather than T-lymphocyte function, as is commonly inferred. Confirmation that the animal host was grossly depleted of T cells was obtained from anatomic and morphologic examination and functional tests of T-lymphocyte responsiveness. The experimental approach was to determine the effect of CsA on the course of experimentally induced infection with Escherichia coli, and extracellular pathogen. Host protection against this microorganism is dependent on an effective nonspecific inflammatory response. CsA administration prior to bacterial challenge resulted in a highly significant increase in bacterial numbers in the kidneys of both euthymic and athymic hosts. The data have provided a direct demonstration that modulation of the nonspecific inflammatory response by CsA can occur via a T lymphocyte-independent process.

Pyelonephritis: the role of cell-mediated immunity defined in a congenitally athymic rat

Thymus-derived lymphocytes (T-cells) have been shown to be present in the inflammatory infiltrate in renal infection but their role in host defense mechanisms has not been defined. Indirect evidence suggested that T-cells contributed to host protection but selective depletion of T-cells did not influence the course of pyelonephritis. In the present report, the characteristics of the athymic New Zealand nude rat (rnunz), which lacks T-lymphocytes, are detailed. This mutant was then used to assess the effect of an absence of T-cells on the bacteriological and histopathological features of pyelonephritis. No significant differences in the bacteriological course of the disease were found. Apart from fewer lymphocytes in the kidney lesions of nude rats and a slight, lag in the resolution of these lesions, no differences were observed in the histopathological course either. These observations, which have analyzed the quantitative relationship between cell-mediated immunity (CMI) and host resistance to renal infection, have shown that a gross reduction in CMI does not affect host resistance once bacteria have gained access to the kidney.

Infection-induced immunosuppression in pyelonephritis: characteristics of the suppressor cell(s)

Infection-induced suppressor cells may be associated with a depression of cell-mediated immune (CMI) mechanisms in pyelonephritis. In the present study, cell viability and cell to cell contact were established as prerequisites for immunosuppression and the role of mononuclear phagocytic cells and polymorphonuclear leukocytes, as immunoregulatory cells affecting CMI, was also examined. Fractionation of spleen cell suspensions was carried out using carbonyl iron, nylon wool, glass beads, and sephadex. These procedures restored mitogenic responsiveness to splenic lymphocytes from pyelonephritic animals, and it was possible to isolate cells with accessory and suppressor activity from nylon wool columns. Elutable cells (that is, cells which adhere to the column but could be recovered by the addition of EDTA) were characteristically accessory cells and increased the mitogenic responsiveness of normal lymphocytes. Adherent splenocytes which suppress mitogenic responses were isolated from pyelonephritic animals. Additionally, neutrophils, at concentrations readily demonstrable in lesions, depressed CMI responses in vitro. With this information available it should now be possible to carry out a detailed analysis of the cellular mechanism by which CMI in renal infection is depressed.

Cellular immunosenescence in F344 rats: decline in responsiveness to phytohemagglutinin involves changes in both T cells and macrophages

Spleen cells from F344 male rats showed decreased DNA synthetic responsiveness [( 3H]thymidine incorporation) with age to the T cell mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Decreased proliferative responses were associated with decreased production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and could be partially restored by providing exogenous IL-2. Responses of spleen cells from aged rats could also be enhanced by removal of Sephadex G-10 adherent cells. Furthermore, co-culture of adherent cell-containing spleen cells from aged rats with nonadherent spleen cells from young rats resulted in suppression of responses. Purified peritoneal exudate macrophages (PEM) from aged rats showed potent regulatory effects on PHA responses of young and old nonadherent spleen cells resulting in suppression above 2.5% macrophage/nonadherent spleen cell ratios. PEM from young rats enhanced the response of young T cells but failed to affect the response of aged T cells. T cell proliferation in the presence of prostaglandin (PGE1) showed age-dependent differences in regulation such that at 10(-6) to 10(-7) M young responses were enhanced and old responses were suppressed. These results suggest that decreased responsiveness of T cells to PHA with age is a complex phenomenon involving changes in both production of regulatory mediators by T cells (IL-2) and macrophages (PGE) as well as changes in T cell responsiveness to these signals.

Mechanism of enhanced humoral response in rodents by a synthetic polymer

We previously reported that administration of a low molecular weight (MW=800) synthetic polymer, NED 137, significantly increases humoral and cellular immune responses in the rat. The effect of NED 137 on the murine humoral response to T-dependent (TD) and T-independent (TI) antigens was studied in C57 BL/6, CBA/J and Balb/c mice. The TD antigens (SRBC, DNP-DA with adjuvant) or TI antigen (DNP-Ficoll) were administered simultaneously with NED 137. The polymer significantly increased the direct PFC response to all antigens tested in normal mice. However, it could not restore the PFC response to SRBC in athymic (nu/nu) mice. The effect of NED 137 on accessory cells was studied by the assessment of the in vitro response to SRBC in normal and macrophage-depleted rat spleen cultures. The polymer stimulated both, the primary and secondary IgM response and its immunopotentiating activity was the greatest in macrophage-depleted spleen cell preparations. The lack of effect of NED 137 in systems devoid of functional T cells, dependency on and specificity for a sensitizing antigen and its ability to stimulate a secondary response suggest that this polymer does not act as a "conventional" B-cell polyclonal activator.

Mechanisms of altered in vitro antibody response in the rat by a small synthetic polymer

NED 137, a low molecular weight synthetic polymer, enhances the rat humoral immune response to cellular antigens in vivo. The effect of NED 137 on the in vitro antibody response to sheep erythrocytes was studied in normal and macrophage-depleted rat spleen cultures. The polymer stimulated the IgM antibody response of normal splenocytes, and its immunopotentiating activity was increased in macrophage-depleted spleen cell preparations. NED 137 enhanced both the primary and the secondary plaque-forming cell (PFC) response of rat splenocytes in a dose- and time-dependent manner. This stimulatory effect of the polymer was dependent on the presence of antigen and demonstrated antigen specificity. The PFC and mitogenic responses of both normal and macrophage-depleted rat splenocytes were dramatically inhibited in cultures prepared from animals pretreated with NED 137 before culture initiation. The antigen dependency, specificity and potentiation of a secondary response suggest that NED 137 acts through the triggering of the lymphoid system but not as a "conventional" B-cell polyclonal activator.

Suppressor cell regulation of cell-mediated immune responses in renal infection in vitro modulation of suppressor cell activity

Infection-induced anergy is a frequent complication of bacterial, viral, and parsitic infection. A marked suppression of the thymus-derived (T) lymphocyte response to concanavalin A has been demonstrated in vitro during renal infection and the mechanisms by which suppression occurs have been investigated. In particular we have considered the possibility that suppression might result from the inhibitory effect of prostaglandins, secreted by activated macrophages with immunoregulatory potential. The experiments have shown that the T-lymphocyte effector status in experimentally-induced renal infection is determined by two suppressor cells, one infection-induced and the other naturally occurring. The inability to respond to mitogenic stimulation was reversible and restoration of immune responsiveness to splenic lymphocytes from infected animals could be achieved in two stepwise manipulations; differential centrifugation removed the infection-induced suppressor cells, and the suppressor activity of the naturally occurring suppressor cells could then be inhibited by indomethacin. Thus the two suppressor cells were distinguishable on the basis of their physical characteristics and their response to indomethacin. The dominant factor determining the immune responsiveness of splenic lymphocytes from the pyelonephritic animals was, however, the infection-induced suppressor cell. This cell has been characterized as a sedimentable cell (30 g) with suppressor activity demonstrable in co-culture experiments. Plastic-adherent cells from the sedimentable fraction of pyelonephritic animals' splenic cells were shown to have suppressor activity that was not inhibited by indomethacin. The infection-induced and naturally occurring suppressor cells can be viewed as prototypes for the equivalent cells in man and may be useful models for studying the role of these cells as determinants in the pathogenesis of infectious disease.