In vitro studies of the rabbit immune system: I. Hemolytic plaque-forming response of dissociated spleen cells from normal and primed rabbits

The conditions for the in vitro generation of primary and secondary immune responses by rabbit spleen cells to sheep red blood cell (SRBC) antigen have been examined. Spleen cells from many normal and all previously immunized rabbits are capable of producing in vitro plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses when cultured as dissociated cell suspensions in the presence of antigen. Primed spleen cells generate approximately 100 times the number of PFCs obtained in normal cultures with a shorter lag period. Both types of cultures demonstrate a period of exponential increase in PFCs during which the doubling time is 12–14 hr. This increase occurs after 1 day of culture of spleen cells from primed rabbits and after 4 days of culture of spleen cells from unprimed rabbits. The PFCs which arise in cultures of primed cells appear not to be the progeny of those generated in vivo but to be derived from an increased number of PFC precursors. Repeated immunization of the spleen cell donor is required to produce significant numbers of indirect (IgG) PFC or indirect precursors; most of the PFC found after a single immunization in vivo or in vitro are direct (IgM). There is no evidence for conversion of IgM to IgG PFC in vitro. This system should provide a means for further identification of the cellular interactions involved in the immune response of the rabbit.     

Appendix and γM-antibody formation: VII. Rosette-forming cells in rabbits immunized with sheep erythrocytes

After intravenous immunization with sheep red blood cells the rabbit spleen shows a sharp rise in the number of plaque-forming cells but there is no detectable rise in PFC in the appendix or mesenteric lymph node of the same animals. Repeated immunization via an appendicostomy blind loop results in virtually no local PFC and only a small rise in splenic PFC.In lethally irradiated animals neither thymocytes nor appendix cells alone restore the splenic PFC response. Simultaneous injection of the two cell types restores both direct and indirect plaque formation. The injected cells were labeled with tritiated adenosine and a standard rosette assay for specific antigen-binding cells applied to recipients' spleen cells following immunization. Rosettes appeared by 3 days after immunization whether thymocytes or appendix cells were labeled. Labeled rosettes were observed only in animals receiving labeled appendix cells.This result demonstrates the presence of rosette forming cell precursors in rabbit appendix cell populations and suggests that the cells of gut-associated lymphoid tissues include antibody-forming cell precursors which are normally seeded to the spleen and draining lymph nodes.     

Production of auto-anti-idiotypic antibody during the normal immune response. XII. Enhanced auto-anti-idiotypic antibody production as a mechanism for apparent B-cell tolerance in rabbits after feeding antigen

Rabbits fed trinitrophenylated bovine serum albumin (TNP-BSA) generated fewer anti-TNP plaque-forming cells but greater numbers of hapten (TNP)-augmentable IgM and IgG PFC following immunization with TNP-Ficoll or TNP-Brucella abortus than did animals not previously fed antigen. Spleen and mesenteric and bronchial lymph nodes were similarly affected. In addition more auto-anti-idiotype (Id) antibody (anti-anti-TNP) was eluted by hapten from spleen cells of antigen-fed rabbits than from spleen cells of control rabbits not prefed antigen. Gel filtration studies ruled out the possibility that the Id binding activity in the eluates was due to immune complexes. The isotype of the anti-Id was IgG except in one rabbit where it was IgM. The results are consistent with the interpretation that the production of auto-anti-Id antibody is one of the factors responsible for the specific depression of the IgM and IgG immune responses which follows antigen feeding. In contrast the antigen feeding resulted in priming for an IgA anti-TNP response without detectable hapten-augmentable IgA PFC.     

Effect of Bacterial Lipopolysaccharides on Anti-Trinitrophenyl Antibody-Producing Cells

The effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on anti-trinitrophenyl (TNP) direct plaque-forming cells (PFC) in the spleen of mice and the affinity of antibodies produced by these PFC were examined. Simultaneous injection of bacterial LPS and TNP-coupled sheep red blood cells(SRBC) induced an obvious increase in anti-TNP PFC numbers and heightened the antibody affinity at cellular levels. The higher the doses of LPS, the greater the effects. Concomitant injection of LPS in TNP-coupled homologous mouse red blood cells (MRBC) also elicited good anti-TNP PFC response and slightly heightened the affinity. Priming with LPS and SRBC together 7 days prior to immunization did not enhance the anti-TNP PFC response and it was difficult to alter the affinity. Preinjection with small amounts of TNP-MRBC or -rabbit red blood cells and LPS simultaneously did not induce any significant increase in anti-TNP PFC secondary response after reimmunization with TNP-SRBC, but obviously heightened the antibody affinity. Injection of LPS simultaneously with the secondary immunization was effective for both the anti-TNP PFC response and the alteration of antibody affinity. These results suggest that LPS affects the control mechanisms of anti-TNP antibody affinity via the non-thymus-derived helper cell function, and the adjuvant action and alteration of antibody affinity induced by LPS are regulated by different mechanisms.     

Effect of bacterial lipopolysaccharides on anti-trinitrophenyl antibody-producing cells. Nonspecific modification of the affinity at the cellular level.

The effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on anti-trinitrophenyl (TNP) direct plaque-forming cells (PFC) in the spleen of mice and the affinity of antibodies produced by these PFC were examined. Simultaneous injection of bacterial LPS and TNP-coupled sheep red blood cells(SRBC) induced an obvious increase in anti-TNP PFC numbers and heightened the antibody affinity at cellular levels. The higher the doses of LPS, the greater the effects. Concomitant injection of LPS in TNP-coupled homologous mouse red blood cells (MRBC) also elicited good anti-TNP PFC response and slightly heightened the affinity. Priming with LPS and SRBC together 7 days prior to immunization did not enhance the anti-TNP PFC response and it was difficult to alter the affinity. Preinjection with small amounts of TNP-MRBC or -rabbit red blood cells and LPS simultaneously did not induce any significant increase in anti-TNP PFC secondary response after reimmunization with TNP-SRBC, but obviously heightened the antibody affinity. Injection of LPS simultaneously with the secondary immunization was effective for both the anti-TNP PFC response and the alteration of antibody affinity. These results suggest that LPS affects the control mechanisms of anti-TNP antibody affinity via the non-thymus-derived helper cell function, and the adjuvant action and alteration of antibody affinity induced by LPS are regulated by different mechanisms.     

The mechanism of thymus-dependent antibody formation in bone marrow

During the primary immune response of mice to i.v. administered thymus-dependent antigens the spleen is the major site of localization of antibody-producing plaque-forming cells (PFC). During the secondary response, on the other hand, large numbers of PFC not only appear in the spleen, but also in the bone marrow. By inducing B memory cells with a DNP-carrier complex and activating the DNP-specific B memory cells with the same hapten conjugated to a heterologous carrier, we show in this paper that B memory cells, but not necessarily T memory cells, must be present before booster immunization for PFC to appear in the bone marrow. The origin of the PFC that appear in the bone marrow during secondary type immune response was studied in parabiotic mice consisting of members congenic for the Igh-1 locus. From analysis of the allotype of antibodies produced by PFC in the marrow of such pairs of parabionts it appeared that antibody formation in bone marrow is dependent on the immigration into the marrow of B memory cells activated in peripheral lymphoid organs. Consistent with such a migration of activated cells, radioautographic studies in guinea pigs demonstrated an influx of newly formed mononuclear cells into the bone marrow via the blood stream during the first 3 days after intravascular antigen administration.     

In vivo immune response suppression by the supernatant from concanavalin A-activated spleen cells.

Supernatants from concanavalin A- (Con A) activated murine spleen cells have been shown to suppress the in vitro plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC). The present study examined the effect of such Con A-activated spleen cell supernatants (herein termed CONS) on the in vivo immune response to SRBC in C57BL/6, BALB/c and CDF1 mice. CONS derived from BALB/c spleen cells suppressed direct PFC 4 and 8 days after immunization with 2 X 10(8) SRBC. CONS also suppressed indirect PFC 8 days after immunization, as well as serum hemagglutinins to SRBC. The PFC response of C57BL/6 (H-2b) mice was suppressed as much as that of BALB/c (H-2d) by CONS derived from BALB/c mice, indicating a lack of H-2 specificity of the CONS. In addition to suppression of the antibody response to SRBC, in vivo CONS administration resulted in reduction in spleen cell number. This reduction was not sufficient to explain the decreased PFC response. When the CONS was separated into less than 10,000 m.w. and greater than or equal to 10,000 m.w. fractions, the immunosuppressive activity was found in the less than 10,000 m.w. fraction. This observation suggests that intact interferon, SIRS, and MIF were not responsible for the results obtained.     

Differential response of B cells in the lymph node and the spleen to bacterial lipopolysaccharide

In vivo polyclonal activation of B cells in the lymph nodes and the spleens of mice injected with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was compared. The peak of anti-trinitrophenylated sheep red blood cells plaque-forming cell (PFC) response in the lymph node was reached 6-8 days after the injection of LPS while that in the spleen was reached at 2 days. The maximal increase in the total number of Ig-producing cells in the lymph node also occurred at the later stage. These differences in time courses of polyclonal activation of B cells between the lymph node and the spleen were not due to the absence of B cells in the lymph node, migration of PFC from the spleen to the lymph node, or qualitative differences of B cells. This phenomenon was dependent on the environmental difference between the lymph node and the spleen, because B cells from the lymph node could respond to LPS rapidly in the spleen. Further, the polyclonal activation of B cells was accelerated in the lymph nodes of mice receiving prior injection of LPS. In in vitro cultures of lymph node cells of those mice, a significant amount of interleukin-1 could be detected by stimulation of LPS. It was possible that the delayed activation of B cells in the lymph node was due to the time lag necessary for construction of the environmental condition suitable for activation of B cells, whereas in the spleen this condition can be provided without delay.     

Effects of microwave exposure on the hamster immune system. IV. Spleen cell IgM hemolytic plaque formation

Microwave exposure has been reported to affect various components of the immune system. In this study, we examined the effect of a single whole-body exposure of hamsters to microwave (mw) energy (2.45 GHz; 5-25 mW/cm2; 1 h) on the IgM antibody (Ab) response of spleen cells to sheep red blood cells (SRBC). MW-exposed, sham-exposed, and cage-control hamsters were immunized with SRBC and plaque-forming cells (PFC) in spleens assayed using the direct hemolytic plaque assay. In cage-control hamsters the Ab response was highest between days 4 and 5, returning to baseline by day 9. MW exposure (25 mW/cm2 for 1 h) significantly augmented PFC response only on days 4 and 5 postimmunization, causing approximately a 4.3- and 3.5-fold increase over controls, respectively. Exposure to 15 mW/cm2 caused a lesser, but significant increase in PFC. Exposure to intensities below 15 mW/cm2 for 1 h did not produce any increase in Ab response. Immunization with different concentrations of SRBC following 1 h of 25 mW/cm2 MW exposure revealed a stimulation in PFC at all concentrations ranging from 5 X 10(7) to 5 X 10(8) SRBC. Pretreatment of hamsters with MW radiation prior to immunization showed that the animals retained an increased sensitivity to SRBC for as long as 4 days after MW exposure. In contrast, exposure of hamsters to MW energy on different days after immunization showed an effect of the PFC response only if given between 0 and 1 day after immunization. These results suggest that MW exposure augments the primary IgM response to SRBC by affecting some early event in the immune response process. The various possible explanations for this phenomenon are discussed.     

In vitro development of a primary antibody response with lymph node cells.

Utilizing a variety of lymphoid tissues from three common laboratory species, comparative studies were performed to investigate the competence of the dissociated cells to respond to a heterologous erythrocyte with the development of specific plaque-forming cells. Dissociated spleen cells harvested from BDF1 mice consistently developed specific plaque-forming cells (PFC) to sheep red blood cells (SRBC), while hamster spleen cells inconsistently developed specific antibody-forming cells to SRBC. Under identical conditions, guinea pig spleen cells did not develop significant numbers of PFC to SRBC. However, lymph node cell cultures of all three species tested yielded specific PFC. In the mouse and hamster lymph node cell cultures, the yield of PFC per culture or per 10⁶ recovered viable cells was always greater than the yield from companion spleen cell cultures. Guinea pig mesenteric lymph node cell cultures developed the major PFC response to SRBC, while both mesenteric and peripheral lymph node cell cultures from hamsters were equivalent in their response to SRBC. The data demonstrate that it is possible to develop a primary antibody response to SRBC in vitro utilizing normal endogenous hamster or guinea pig lymphoid cells, if lymph nodes are the source of cells.     

Dose-dependent induction of immunologic enhancement and suppression after oral administration of antigen

The effects of feeding various quantities of a particulate antigen, sheep red blood cells (SRBC), on plaque-forming cells (PFC) in the spleen were determined. Mice were given various numbers of SRBC orally daily for 14 days, then injected with SRBC intravenously. Splenic IgA PFC responses to SRBC were enhanced in the mice fed 5 X 10(8) SRBC and splenic IgG PFC responses to SRBC were depressed in the mice fed 5 X 10(9) SRBC. Adoptive transfer experiments showed that enhancement of splenic IgA PFC responses and suppression of splenic IgG PFC responses were induced by the T-cell rich fraction from Peyer's patches (PP) and the spleen in 5 X 10(8) SRBC- and 5 X 10(9) SRBC-fed mice, respectively. Kinetic studies revealed that IgA helper cells or IgG suppressor cells appeared in PP 2 days after oral administration and 4 days after it in the spleen.     

Splenic role in the regulation of immune responses.

Evidence for a splenic role in regulating antibody production in other lymphoid tissue was obtained in a system in which cyclical fluctuations of splenic plaque-forming cells (PFC) occur following a single intravenous injection of aggregated human γ-globulin in rabbits. First, PFC arising simultaneously in the mesenteric nodes, peripheral blood, and spleen appear to be derived from the spleen since splenectomy prior to antigen injection abrogated these responses. Second, a noncyclical appearance of PFC in popliteal nodes of rabbits responding to subcutaneous injection of antigen was converted to a cyclical response by simultaneous intravenous injection of antigen, an effect which was abolished by splenectomy prior to antigen injection. It is suggested that, following an intravenous injection of antigen, both suppressor cells as well as antibody-forming precursors may be activated in the spleen and disseminated to other lymphoid tissue.     

Kinetics of the antibody response to type III pneumococcal polysaccharide. II. Factors influencing the serum antibody levels after immunization with an optimally immunogenic dose of antigen.

When the number of PFC present in the spleen was measured at 24-hr intervals after immunizing with an optimally immunogenic dose of type III pneumococcal polysaccharide (SSS-III), maximal numbers of PFC were attained 4 days after immunization; thereafter, the number of PFC decreased rapidly. By contrast, serum antibody levels, which were measured in the same mice using a Farr test, reached peak values 5 days after immunization and then declined much more slowly than did the number of PFC. Two factors were found to contribute to this disparity. First, experiments conducted with splenectomized mice showed that extrasplenic antibody synthesis, which began between days 3 and 4 after immunization and peaked on days 6 to 7, accounted for nearly one-third of the total amount of serum antibody produced. Second, the average rate of antibody synthesis by PFC increased through day 6 after immunization and then declined. Antigen-antibody dissociation tests showed that the avidity of the serum antibody obtained 4 to 7 days after immunization was the same. Moreover, during the same interval, all the antibody detected by the Farr test was of the IgM class. Thus, a change in avidity or class of immunoglobulin after day 5 did not account for the disparity observed. The clearance rate of antibody injected i.v. into nonimmune and immunized mice was studied. The data obtained indicated that accelerated clearance of antibody was occurring prior to day 3 after immunization; however, after day 3 the antibody clearance rate was constant and was the same as that found when antibody was injected into nonimmune mice. These findings affirmed the results of previous studies showing that treadmill neutralization was not important in determining the serum antibody levels present after immunization with an optimally immunogenic dose of SSS-III.     

Combinations of two synthetic adjuvants: synergistic effects of a surfactant and a polyanion on the humoral immune response

Synergistic effects of two synthetic adjuvants, dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDA) and dextran sulfate (DXS) on the humoral response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) were investigated. Mice received intraperitoneal (ip) injections of adjuvant and antigen simultaneously. The number of plaque-forming cells (PFC) in the spleen were determined 5 days later and circulating anti-SRBC antibodies were measured till 16 weeks after immunization. Although combinations of DDA and DXS were very effective in enhancing the PFC response to both moderate (2 X 10(7] and low (2 X 10(6] doses of SRBC, synergy between the adjuvants was only observed at the low dose of SRBC. Optimal augmentation of the primary response to the low antigen dose was evoked by the combination of the highest dose tested of either adjuvant (1 mumol DDA and 1 nmol DXS) resulting in a 560-fold increase of the number of PFC in the spleen as compared to controls. Even combinations of relatively small amounts of both adjuvants were very effective in augmenting the response to SRBC. Mice receiving half the amounts of both adjuvants with 2 X 10(6) SRBC displayed increased numbers of PFC in the spleen at Day 5 as well as increased titers of total anti-SRBC antibodies at Week 1 and Week 2 and 2-mercaptoethanol-resistant antibodies from Week 4 till Week 16 as compared to the calculated sum of responses in mice which received either DDA (0.05 mumol per mouse) or DXS (0.05 nmol per mouse). The mechanism behind the synergy between these adjuvants is discussed and the possibility of discerning adjuvants on their modes of action is suggested.     

Immune dysfunction associated with graft-vs-host reaction in mice transplanted across minor histocompatibility barriers. II. Reversible defect in T-dependent antibody responses

B cell and Th cell functions were assessed in mice undergoing a graft-vs-host reaction (GvHR) in response to minor histocompatibility Ag by using the plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to the T-independent Ag TNP-Brucella abortus and the T-dependent Ag TNP-SRBC. Bone marrow plus spleen cells from B10.D2 mice were transplanted into lethally irradiated B10.D2 (syngeneic recipient) or H-2d-compatible BALB/c (allogeneic recipient) to produce a chronic form of GvHR. BALB/c recipients of an allogeneic transplant demonstrated a marked and proportional lymphoid depletion of the spleen with normal percentages of B cells, T cells, and CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets. Mice with GvHR made normal numbers of PFC/10(5) spleen cells in response to the T-independent Ag, but a significantly depressed number of PFC/10(5) spleen cells to the T-dependent Ag compared with normal B10.D2 mice and with irradiated B10.D2 recipients of syngeneic B10.D2 marrow plus spleen cells. Mice undergoing the minor Ag GvHR made significantly larger numbers of PFC/10(5) spleen cells after secondary immunization with TNP-SRBC compared with controls. In vitro assays demonstrated that B cells from mice with GvHR responded to T help from normal B10.D2 mice and that T cells from mice with GvHR provided help to normal B cells after in vivo immunization. These data demonstrate that radiation chimeras with GvHR in response to minor histocompatibility Ag have relatively normal B cell function and an apparent defect in T helper cell function that is reversible by immunization with appropriate Ag.     

The enhancement of the immune response by pain stimulation in mice. I. The enhancement effect on PFC production via sympathetic nervous system in vivo and in vitro

Effects of catecholamines and osmotical and physical stimuli on the induction of anti-sheep red blood cells (SRBC) plaque-forming cells (PFC) were investigated in (C57BL/6 X BALB/c)F1 mice in vivo and in vitro. The anti-SRBC PFC from mice immunized with 5 X 10(7) SRBC was markedly increased by daily s.c. injections of epinephrine. The enhancement of PFC by epinephrine was completely blocked by preadministration with propranolol and hexamethonium, but not with phentolamine. The PFC was increased by osmotic and physical stimuli given once a day for 4 days after immunization with SRBC. The enhancement of PFC by these stimuli was completely blocked by preadministration with propranolol and hexamethonium. The enhancement of PFC by physical stimuli was observed in nonimmunized mice when spleen cells from stimulated mice were cultured with SRBC in vitro. In normal mice, the enhancement of PFC was observed 2 hr after one physical stimulation. However, spleen cells from mice given two physical stimuli did not show the enhancement of PFC after treatment with anti-Thy-1.2 antibody and complement, nor after removal of nonadherent cells. Next, the serum obtained from mice 30 to 60 min after a physical stimulation enhanced PFC of normal mice spleen cells in vitro, but the enhancement was abolished by the addition of propranolol. The enhancement of anti-SRBC PFC by s.c. injection of epinephrine suggested that the autonomic nervous system, especially the sympathetic nervous system, was activated by a local stimulus effect of the injection. This enhancement of anti-SRBC PFC appear to be due to the activation of antigen non-specific helper T lymphocytes by the beta-actin of endogenous catecholamines from the adrenal gland.     

The effects of cortisol on the primary response of mouse spleen cell cultures to heterologous erythrocytes

Cell viability and the production of direct PFC were studied in mouse spleen cell cultures after cortisol treatment in vivo or in vitro at various times relative to primary stimulation with SRBC in vitro.Cortisol treatment in vivo reduced spleen cell numbers by 88% after 48 hr, but cultures of the remaining cells produced as many PFC in vitro as did cultures of equal numbers of normal spleen cells.In normal spleen cell cultures incubated with cortisol for 4 hr prior to the addition of antigen, peak responses of PFC/culture and PFC/10⁶ cells occurred 24 hr later than in controls and averaged, respectively, 27% and 141% of control values. Minimum viable cell numbers were observed in cortisol-treated cultures after 3 days; thereafter cell numbers gradually increased. These results were not significantly altered when cultures were treated simultaneously with cortisol and antigen.The response was not suppressed if the addition of antigen preceded that of cortisol by more than 4 hr. Suppression was also considerably reduced if fetal calf serum was used when preparing cells for culture.     

Plaque-forming cell response in BALB/c mice to two preparations of LPS extracted from Salmonella enteritidis.

The pattern of development of antibody-forming cells in BALB/c mice after immunization with PW-LPS or TCA-LPS was shown to be different. On days 10 and 20, the primary response to PW-LPS was characterized by a low level of IgM synthesis. The plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to TCA-LPS, however, increased from day 10 to day 20. Initially, IgM was the only detectable antibody synthesized but by day 20 a significant number of IgG-producing spleen cells had developed. After a secondary immunization with the appropriate lipopolysaccharide (LPS) preparation, IgG-producing spleen cells were detected in mice immunized with either PW-or TCA-LPS. Partial removal of the LAP or TCA-LPS with phenol or trypsin and pronase significantly reduced the PFC response, suggesting that the protein moiety played an influential role in the immunogenicity of TCA-LPS. The TCA-LPS contained the same antigenic dterminants as PW-LPS, so any difference observed between PFC response was not due to any associated immunogenic moiety.     

Rapid changes in the regulatory potential of autologous anti-idiotopic T cells during an antigen-driven primary response

The antibody response of C57BL/6 strain mice to Streptococcus pneumoniae R36a (Pn) is dominated by the T15 idiotype, but the responding cells appear to be idiotypically heterogeneous, in that individual antibody plaque-forming cells (PFC) may express some but not all idiotopes (Id) of the T15 complex. The presence of these distinct Id on the PFC was detected by a plaque-inhibition assay with three different monoclonal anti-Id antibodies, designated AB1-2, MaId5-4, and B36-82. A periodic change in the expression of AB1-2 and MaId5-4 Id was observed during primary (IgM) antibody response to Pn in the spleen. Those two Id were poorly expressed in the log phase of the response between day 2 and day 4 after immunization (few PFC in the spleen bore the Id), but they became detectable on the majority of PFC at the peak of the response, day 5 to day 7. The proportion of the Id-(AB1-2 or MaId5-4) positive PFC declined, again at day 10 after immunization. In contrast, the B36-82 Id was expressed on greater than or equal to 80% PFC throughout the entire primary response. The possibility that the apparent changes in the Pn-reactive cell populations are regulated by autologous anti-Id T cells was tested in vitro. Normal, unimmunized B cells were cultured with Pn, either alone or in the presence of syngeneic T cells isolated from the spleen of mice at the appropriate intervals after immunization: day 2 (T2), day 5 (T5), and days 10 to 14 (T10 to T14); T cells from unimmunized donors (T0) served as a control. The specific response after 4 days in culture was determined in regard to the total PFC as well as the proportion of PFC expressing the Id. Pn-stimulated B cells, alone or with the control T0 cells, produced moderate, variable levels of AB1-2+ and MaId5-4+ PFC. The expression of these two Id in the assay cultures was suppressed by addition of either T2 cells or T10-14 cells, but it was enhanced if T5 cells were added. However, these various T cell populations did not differ in their effect on the total PFC response. Also, the proportion of PFC bearing the third Id, B36-82 was high, and it was not consistently influenced by the added T cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Contact sensitivity to picryl chloride: the occurrence of B suppressor cells in the lymph nodes and spleen of immunized mice.

Mice were immunized for contact sensitivity and antibody production by painting the skin with picryl chloride. Lymph node and spleen cells taken 4 days later transferred contact sensitivity. However, cells taken at 7–8 days failed to transfer but were able to block the transfer by 4 day immune cells. These suppressor cells occurred in the regional lymph nodes, spleen and thymus. The suppressor activity of lymph node and spleen cells was due to B cells as shown by the effect of anti-θ serum and complement, nylon wool filtration and separation of EAC positive and negative cells by centrifugation on a discontinuous gradient. The transfer of fractions rich or poor in macrophages showed that the suppressor cell in the transferred population was not a macrophage. Separation using EAC rosettes suggested that B cells were responsible for the suppressor activity in the thymus.T cells isolated from the lymph nodes and spleen 7–8 days after immunization transferred contact sensitivity although the initial population was inactive. This indicates that passive transfer cells are present in the regional lymph nodes and spleen at later times after immunization but cannot be demonstrated because of the presence of suppressor B cells. However, no passive transfer cells were found in the thymus. The production of B suppressor cells required little or no T cell help and following immunization the spleens of reconstituted (B) mice were at least as active as control cells in causing suppression. There are several different suppressor cells which act in the picryl system and the B suppressor cells in immunized mice described here are distinct from the T suppressor cells in mice injected with picryl sulphonic acid.