In vitro inhibition of lymphoproliferative responses to tumor associated antigens and of lymphoma cell proliferation by rat splenic macrophages.

Spleens from W/Fu rats bearing a syngeneic progressively growing (C58NT)D tumor contain cells which can inhibit lymphoproliferative responses in a mixed lymphocyte-tumor interaction designed to demonstrate suppressor activity. Spleens from rats having rejected (C58NT)D tumors also contained suppressor cells but to a lesser degree. The growth inhibition assay, which measures inhibition of proliferation of tumor cells, was evaluated as a simple assay system to screen for suppressor cell activity. The effector cells in both assays had the same characteristics, indicating a predominant role of macrophages. Normal rat spleens were found to contain growth inhibition activity which led to the demonstration of suppressor cell activity in spleens of normal animals. Removal of suppressor cells from the spleens of immunne rats results in consistently higher lymphoproliferative responses to tumor associated antigens on the tumor cells.     

Cellular immune aspects of the human fetal maternal relationship. II. In vitro response of gravida lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin

At optimal doses of phytohemagglutinin, human gravida lymphocytes showed no depression of responses when compared to nonpregnant female control lymphocytes. Compared to the control cells, gravida lymphocytes also seemed to have a higher spontaneous incorporation, a higher response at suboptimal PHA concentrations, and a lower peak dose response. These findings were more evident in the latter third of the pregnancy and suggest that maternal lymphocytes by this test are apparently fully reactive, and that they are undergoing low-level stimulation.     

Suppression of secondary plaque-forming cell responses by rat splenic adherent cells: evidence for dependence on prostaglandin production.

Rat spleens normally contain adherent suppressor cells with macrophage-like characteristics. This paper presents data indicating that the activity of these cells, as measured by decreased secondary in vitro PFC responses to heterologous erythrocytes, is dependent upon the production of prostaglandins. PFC can be restored in vitro by the use of indomethacin and aspirin—different drugs which both inhibit prostaglandin synthesis among other cellular functions. An experimental drug, Ro3-1314, which has as its only known function the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis, also acts similarly. The suppression relieved by these drugs can be restored by the addition of PGE².     

In vitro response of lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) as studied with antiserum to PHA : II. Cell cycle analyses

The cell cycle and phase times of human lymphocytes responding to PHA have been analysed with the percent labelled metaphases (PLM) technique. The range of generation times (13–18 h) and DNA synthesis times (6.5–10.5 h) reported here compare well with previous measurements in the literature. Cycle analyses of the early responding cells of the initial response, selected with partial anti-PHA serum inhibition, and of restimulated cells yield relatively well-defined PLM curves. The short cycle times measured from these curves may reflect the early cycles after stimulation or a subpopulation of responding cells. Analyses at two times during both the initial and restimulation responses suggest that cycles lengthen with time after stimulation. The poor PLM curves of the initial response and the restimulation response of cells released from anti-PHA inhibition indicate considerable intercellular variation in cycle times. Cells in the initial long G 1 phase contribute to this variation. PHA dose does not appear to affect the cycle time.     

Differential cytotoxicity of activated lymphocytes on allogeneic and xenogeneic target cells. II. Activation by phytohemagglutinin

In the preceding paper it has been shown that human or mouse lymphocytes stimulated by a variety of agents, damaged allogeneic target cells while damage of xenogeneic target cells was weak or absent. In this study, the species specificity of the cytotoxicity of PHA activated lymphocytes has been studied in greater detail. Effector cells were purified lymphocytes either from human peripheral blood, or from spleen or lymph nodes of inbred mice. Target cells were ⁵¹Cr-labeled human Chang liver cells or mouse L cells.PHA stimulated human or mouse lymphocytes were significantly more cytotoxic to allogeneic than to xenogeneic target cells. At low PHA doses at which damage of allogeneic target cells was significant, damage of xenogeneic target cells was very weak or absent. At higher PHA doses, damage of xenogeneic target cells became also significant but always remained at a lower level than that of allogeneic target cells.Prestimulation of human lymphocytes with PHA for 3 days increased their cytotoxic efficiency. Furthermore, damage of human Chang cells by human lymphocytes had a dose-response relationship similar to that valid for stimulation of DNA synthesis. However, damage of mouse L cells by human lymphocytes increased at PHA-doses at which stimulation of DNA-synthesis declined. For mouse lymphocytes, these doseresponse relationships were less clear-cut, probably due to differences in origin and survival of the effector cells. This confirms previous observations that cytotoxicity and DNA-synthesis are different but probably interdependent expressions of lymphocyte activation.     

In vitro responses of luteinizing rat granulosa cells to human thyroid-stimulating hormone

The effect of human thyroid-stimulating hormone (hTSH) on progesterone (P4) secretion during initial luteinization and subsequent prolactin (Prl)-mediated steroidogenesis by cultured rat granulosa cells was studied. Granulosa cells, obtained from pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG)-treated immature female rats, were preincubated for 1, 3, 6, 12, or 24 h in control medium lacking added hormones or in medium containing 1.0 microgram/ml human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or hTSH, and maintained subsequently for 6 days in medium containing 1.0 microgram/ml bovine (bPrl). Indices of luteotropic stimulation were provided by: 1) elevated P4 concentrations determined by radioimmunoassay of spent media samples; and 2) cytoplasmic lipid accumulation assessed by osmium tetroxide staining following fixation after 7 days of culture. Progesterone levels in media from cultures exposed to hCG for 24 h were twofold higher than control cultures, whereas those in media from cultures preincubated in hTSH for 24 h were fourfold higher than control levels. Cultures preincubated in 1.0 microgram/ml hCG for as little as 1 h and then maintained for 6 days in Prl secreted significantly more P4 than did control cultures also maintained with Prl for 6 days. Cultures preincubated in hTSH required a 24-h exposure before a significant increase in Prl-mediated P4 secretion was observed. Intensity of cytoplasmic osmiophilia correlated directly with P4 concentration. These results suggest that: 1) hTSH has the ability to promote P4 secretion during initial luteinization and to regulate subsequent Prl-mediated steroidogenesis by cultured rat granulosa cells; and 2) the mechanism by which hTSH stimulates Prl-mediated P4 secretion in this model system may differ from that of hCG.     

In vitro inhibition of rat platelet aggregation by ochratoxin A.

The mycotoxin ochratoxin A (OA) consists of 5-chloro-3-methyl-3,4-dihydro-8-hydroxyisocoumarin moiety linked by an amide bond to beta-L-phenylalanine. When added to washed rat platelets in vitro, OA caused a dose-dependent inhibition of aggregation induced by agonists such as adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or thrombin. The aggregatory response induced by prior addition of an agonist was also reversed in a dose-dependent manner by OA. Inhibition of aggregation appeared to be irreversible since exposure of platelets to OA followed by several washings removed most of the mycotoxin associated with the platelets but did not diminish the inhibitory response. Serotonin secretion from dense granules and arachidonic acid release from membrane phospholipid (especially phosphatidylcholine) as well as its further metabolism were also inhibited by OA. These results suggest that a disruption of the platelet plasma membrane structure by OA is probably responsible for inhibition of the primary and secondary phases of aggregation.     

Formation of heterophile antibodies by human tonsilar lymphocytes: II. In vitro stimulation with allogeneic cells

Short-term cultures of human tonsilar lymphocytes (HTL), 5 × 10⁶ cells/culture, in medium RPMI 1640 supplemented with human group AB serum were studied for the production of plaque-forming cells (PFC) against sheep (SRBC) and bovine (BRBC) red blood cells following in vitro stimulation by various allogeneic lymphoid cells. Of 55 HTL specimens examined, 48 produced a significant number (50–300/culture) of PFC against SRBC and/or BRBC following the in vitro stimulation. The optimal doses of the stimulator HTL and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were 10⁷ and 5 × 10⁶/culture, respectively. After the stimulation, PFC appeared in significant numbers on the third day, reached the peak number on the sixth day, and decreased sharply in number thereafter. Removal of E-rosetting cells from both stimulator and responder populations abolished the PFC formation. PFC formation against SRBC was inhibited by solubilized Forssman antigen, while PFC formation against BRBC was inhibited strongly by Hanganutziu-Deicher antigen, hardly by Paul-Bunnell antigen and not at all by Forssman antigen. Supernatants of mixed lymphocyte culture of PBL were shown to enhance PFC formation of HTL cultures stimulated by allogeneic lymphocytes. The results of this study indicated that in vivo primed B cells of the HTL were triggered in vitro by allogeneic stimulation for the heterophile antibody formation. Since these antibodies are apparently directed against Forssman and Hanganutziu-Deicher antigens, the “allo” nature of these antigens as well as their relationship to the previously described heterophile transplantation antigens have to be clarified.