Mechanisms of polyclonal tolerance induced by lipopolysaccharide and cyclophosphamide

The treatment of recipient mice with LPS from S. marcescens followed by the injection of CY 48 h later inhibited a subsequent antibody production against unrelated antigen (SRBC) and polyclonal mitogen (LPS from Br. abortus). Such a reactivity persisted for 2-3 weeks after treatment. It was shown that the number of Ig+ cells in the spleens of treated mice was decreased, while the population of spleen Thy-1.2+ cells remained unaltered. Cell-cooperative test revealed that the function of B cells, but not T cells, was inhibited by the treatment. There were no changes in DTH response to SRBC. Thus, a subsequent treatment of mice with LPS and CY led to B-cell deficiency. The nature of this phenomenon is presumably the same as the nature of CY-induced antigen-specific immunological tolerance.     

T cell function during fatal and self-limiting malarial infections of mice.

Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) was found to be depressed during fatal Plasmodium berghei and self-limiting P. yoelii infections of mice. By testing mice presensitized to SRBC before P. berghei infection, and by transfer of cells sensitized in uninfected mice into P. yoelii-infected recipients, the immunological lesion was found to be at the level of DTH expression, rather than at the level of T cell sensitization. That acute inflammatory responsiveness is impaired during malarial infection was confirmed by testing this response to local injection of LPS in P. yoelii-infected mice. The results suggested that depressed DTH responsiveness in malarious mice is not a valid indication of impaired T cell function.     

Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) in BCG-sensitized mice I. Lack of suppressor T cell activity on DTH to sheep red blood cells.

Mice pretreated with an intravenous (i.v.) injection of BCG (BCG-sensitized mice) and then immunized intravenously with a high dose (10(8)--10(9)) of sheep red blood cells (SRBC) 2 weeks later developed strong delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to SRBC, as in mice pretreated with cyclophosphamide (CY) (CY-treated mice) and then immunized with SRBC 2 days later; normal mice given the same dose of SRBC did not show such DTH. The mechanism of this strong DTH to SRBC which developed in BCG-sensitized mice was studied, by comparing it with that in CY-treated mice. The transfer of either whole spleen cells or thymus cells, but not serum, obtained from mice immunized with i.v. injections of 10(9) SRBC 4 days previously (hyperimmune mice) did not suppress either the induction or the expression of DTH to SRBC in BCG-sensitized mice, but suppressed those in CY-treated mice. The suppressor cells were SRBC-specific T cells. Adoptive transfer of DTH to SRBC by spleen cells from either BCG-sensitized mice of CY-treated mice to hyperimmune recipients failed. The adoptive transfer of DTH from BCG-sensitized mice to normal recipients also failed if the spleen cells from hyperimmune mice were cotransferred. Whole body irradiation (600 rad) of mice 2 hr before or after the time of immunization with SRBC reduced significantly DTH to SRBC in both BCG-sensitized and CY-treated mice. It was noticed that the total number of spleen cells in BCG-sensitized mice was 3--4 times larger than that in CY-treated mice. From these results, we conclude that the entity of effector T cells of DTH to SRBC induced in BCG-sensitized mice and in CY-treated mice was not different in terms of susceptibility to suppressor T cells and irradiation, but that the total numbers of effector T cells generated in these mice differed remarkably, resulting in the above-described different responsiveness to suppressor T cells transferred passively.     

Suppression of humoral and delayed hypersensitivity responses by distinct T cell subpopulations.

Immunization of mice with a supraoptimal dose of sheep red blood cells (SRBC) results in splenic T cell populations capable of specifically suppressing recipients' plaque forming cell (PFC) and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to SRBC when tested in an adoptive transfer system. By localization on discontinuous bovine serum albumin (BSA) gradients and relative sensitivity to Cytoxan, two distinct T cell subpopulations suppressing DTH reactivity were identified. One population could not be distinguished from T cells capable of inhibiting direct and indirect PFC responses. However, another population appeared quite distinct and capable of inhibiting DTH, but not PFC responses.     

Effects of Cholera Toxin on Delayed-Type Hypersensitivity to Sheep Red Blood Cells Inoculated Intranasally into Mice

The effects of cholera toxin (CT) on delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) were studied in mice sensitized by intranasal administration of SRBC. CT (1 μg/mouse), given intranasally together with SRBC (2 × 10⁷/mouse), induced a maximally enhanced DTH response, which reached its peak around 7 days after sensitization, and also induced an accelerated DTH response upon a second administration of SRBC 28 days later. The ability of CT to enhance the DTH to SRBC was lost, either when CT was administered via the intraperitoneal or subcutaneous route, or when CT was introduced into the nasal site from which a large proportion of the SRBC was discharged 2 days after SRBC administration. These results indicate that the cells that are located in the nasal site and participate in the earlier events of DTH response were most affected by CT. The following effects of CT on the earlier events, which occur within 24 hr after the intranasal administration of both CT and SRBC, appeared to be involved in the mechanisms by which CT enhances DTH to SRBC: (i) facilitation of the penetration of the antigen into the nasal tissue; (ii) reinforcement of the migration of immunocompetent cells from the blood to the nasal tissues; (iii) promotion of the ability of Ia-positive macrophages to present the antigenic determinants to T cells; (iv) facilitation of the differentiation of primed T cells to DTH-effector T cells.     

Requirement for a bacterial flora before mice generate cells capable of mediating the delayed hypersensitivity reaction to sheep red blood cells.

A delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction can be elicited by an injection of 10(8) sheep red blood cells (SRBC) into a rear footpad of conventional (CV) mice previously immunized with small doses of SRBC. In contrast, immunization of germ-free (GF) mice with the same doses of SRBC produced no DTH when immunization was by the intravenous (i.v.) route, and only weak reactions when immunization was by the subcutaneous (footpad) route. Varying the immunizing dose of SRBC, or the time at which DTH was elicited, did not produce a state of DTH responsiveness in i.v. immunized GF mice. However, the transfer of lymphocytes from CV mice, immunized 4 to 5 days previously with SRBC, into GF mice, conferred on GF mice the capacity to express DTH. Although DTH was not readily demonstrable in GF mice immunized with SRBC, they nevertheless produced normal levels of hemagglutinating antibody to SRBC. Finally, it was shown that GF mice could generate a normal DTH response to SRBC if they were first monoassociated with a Gram-negative bacterial flora.     

The inhibitory effect of T-2 toxin on tolerance induction of delayed-type hypersensitivity in mice.

Mice injected intravenously with 1 X 10(9) sheep red blood cells (SRBC) showed no delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response to SRBC and were unresponsive to DTH induction by sc injection of an optimal dose of SRBC. However, when treated with T-2 toxin, a mycotoxin, 2 days after the iv injection, mice became to show significant DTH response and to be responsive to the DTH induction by the sc injection. When the spleen cells of the mice receiving the iv injection were transferred to unsensitized syngeneic recipients, the DTH response of the recipients to SRBC was suppressed. However, the suppressor activity of the spleen cells was decreased by T-2 toxin treatment. By the iv injection, cell population of the spleen was increased and that of the thymus decreased. In contrast, by T-2 toxin treatment 2 days after the iv injection, cell population of the spleen was not increased and that of the thymus was markedly decreased. The ratio of theta-bearing cells was increased in the spleen by the iv injection. However, such increase was not observed after the T-2 toxin treatment. The ratio of Ig-bearing cells in the spleen was not changed by the iv injection and the T-2 toxin treatment after the iv injection. T-2 toxin seems to interfere with generation of suppressor cells for the DTH response.     

Activation of T cells by glutaraldehyde-fixed erythrocyte antigens: radiosensitivity of cells mediating delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions in the mouse.

Mice immunized with glutaraldehyde-fixed sheep red blood cells (G-SRBC) show delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions to G-SRBC or SRBC. The specificity of the DTH reaction of mice sensitized with glutaraldehyde-fixed antigens is similar to that found after sensitization with unfixed antigens. The dose-response curve for sensitization by glutaraldehyde-fixed SRBC was very different from the curve for normal SRBC. At low doses, both antigens were effective in sensitizing to show DTH but neither induced an antibody response. However, at high antigen doses, only the glutaraldehyde-fixed antigen was efficient in sensitizing to show DTH and it failed to raise an antibody titer. Spleen cells of mice sensitized with fixed RBC can transfer DTH locally but if the donor cells are irradiated (500 R), the transfer is abrogated. In contrast, the transfer of DTH by spleen cells of mice immunized with unfixed antigen is not affected by 500 R. The transfer of DTH by spleen cells of mice immunized with fixed antigen can be blocked by “in vitro desensitization” while the transfer of DTH by spleen cells from mice primed with normal antigen is resistant to “in vitro desensitization.” These results suggest that immunization of mice with different physical states of the same antigen can result in the activation of antigen-specific T cells which exhibit markedly different properties.     

Secondary delayed-type hypersensitivity to sheep red blood cells in mice: a long-lived memory phenomenon

Immunization of mice with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) can induce the capacity to react with a secondary delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) immune response upon a booster injection of the antigen. In this paper the kinetics of secondary DTH after intravenous (iv) immunization with various doses of SRBC was studied by means of the foot swelling test. Dose-response studies showed that maximal secondary DTH responsiveness was obtained by iv administration of a priming dose of 3 × 10⁴ SRBC and a booster dose of 3 × 10⁵ SRBC 2 months later. Secondary DTH in such treated mice was characterized by an earlier appearance of the state of DTH, an earlier peak reactivity, and an increased intensity of the DTH response as compared to the primary DTH response. Up to 1 year after priming, a secondary DTH could be elicited, indicating the long-lived character of this memory phenomenon. With increasing intervals between the priming and booster injection, a gradual shift to a later time, of the peak secondary DTH reactivity was found. The capacity of primed mice to react with an increased intensity upon a booster injection could be adoptively transferred into lethally irradiated recipients by means of spleen cells obtained from primed mice. This phenomenon appeared to be highly dependent on Thy 1.2⁺ cells and on the booster dose of SRBC. The DTH reaction, evoked in such recipients, showed a prolonged time course.     

Leishmania tropica: Association of a B-cell mitogen with hypergammaglobulinemia in mice

Infection of BALB/c mice with Leishmania tropica NIH S strain resulted in splenic enlargement, hypergammaglobulinemia, and polyclonal activation of B lymphocytes as measured by the splenic plaque-forming cell response (PFC) to trinitrophenyl (TNP) and sheep erythrocytes (SRBC). The peak anti-SRBC PFC response occurred 5 weeks after infection; both direct and indirect (facilitated) plaques were significantly increased. The in vitro primary immune response to trinitrophenyl haptenated lipopolysaccharide (TNP-LPS), as enumerated by the anti-TNP PFC response, was also increased on a per-spleen basis beginning 3 weeks after infection. The properties of a lysate of L. tropica promastigotes (LTL) was studied to determine whether polyclonal B-cell activation was related to a parasite-derived mitogen. A B-cell mitogen was identified in LTL which stimulated the proliferation of spleen cells in vitro from uninfected control and congenitally athymic (T-cell-deficient) but not from μ-suppressed (B-cell-deficient) animals. Preliminary characterization of the mitogen material indicated that it was a nonpyrogenic, heat-labile peptide or protein and was probably not bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS).     

Direct in vitro evidence for different susceptibilities to 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide of antigen-primed T cells regulating humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to sheep erythrocytes: a possible explanation for the inverse action of cyclophosphamide on humoral and cell-mediated immune responses

Suppressor T cells of humoral immune responses, effector T cells mediating DTH, suppressor T cells of DTH, and helper T cells of humoral immune responses, all with specificity to SRBC, were produced in mice. The biologic activity was tested in adoptive transfer experiments. In vitro treatment with different doses of 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HPCy) yielded the result that the various activities tested were not uniformly sensitive to the action of this drug: Suppressor T cells of humoral immune responses and effector T cells mediating DTH were resistant to doses of 4-HPCy that eliminated the activities of suppressor T cells of DTH and helper cells of the humoral immune response. These findings help to explain the various effects cyclophosphamide has on the in vivo immune response and may help to form a basis for the rational manipulation of the immune response by drugs that selectively affect different subgroups of immune cells.     

Age related decline in functional T cell subsets in the mouse

The changes of two functions of regulatory T cells in mice of different ages were determined. Mice were immunized with SRBC. DTH responsiveness of spleen cells and the production of IL-2 after Concanavalin A stimulation of the same cell suspension was measured. Cell populations were analysed for expression of Lyt-2 and Thy-1 surface markers. The relationship between DTH responsiveness and T cell subset distribution in peripheral blood was analysed. A direct relationship between age related changes in DTH responsiveness and T cell subset distributions in peripheral blood was observed in most individual animals.     

TRF requirements for in vitro PFC responses to SRBC and R36a. I. TRF is distinct from IL 2 but indistinguishable from polyclonal BCSF

In vitro PFC responses to the thymus-independent (TI) antigen Streptococcus pneumoniae R36a require T cell replacing factor(s) (TRF). This requirement for TRF is as significant as for the thymus-dependent (TD) antigen SRBC. TRF is shown to be distinct from IL 2 by the following observations: 1) culture supernatants from the cloned T cell line L2, collected over an 8-day period after allogeneic stimulation, transiently contain IL 2 activity but maintain high levels of TRF activity throughout 192 hr; 2) L2V, a variant subclone of L2, produces much higher levels of TRF activity than the parental line but no detectable IL 2 activity; 3) the addition of IL2+, TRF- supernatants from the T cell hybridoma FS6-14.13 does not affect the L2V SF-driven PFC responses to R36a or SRBC; and 4) the addition of contaminating T cells to cultures containing T cell-depleted spleen cells, L2V SF, and antigen does not affect the PFC response. TRF does appear to be indistinguishable from polyclonal B cell stimulating factor (BCSF), which stimulates polyclonal PFC responses in the absence of antigen, mitogen, or anti-Ig. The TRF and BCSF activities of L2V SF could not be separated by ion-exchange, hydrophobic-interaction, and gel-filtration chromatography. TRF and BCSF have an apparent m.w. of approximately 40,000.     

Immunomodulatory Activity of 3β,6β‐Dihydroxyolean‐12‐en‐27‐oic Acid in Tumor‐Bearing Mice

3β,6β‐Dihydroxyolean‐12‐en‐27‐oic acid ( 1 ) is a pentacyclic triterpenoid isolated from the rhizomes of Astilbe chinensis. To evaluate the in vivo antitumor potential and to elucidate its immunological mechanisms, effect of 1 on the growth of mouse‐transplantable tumors, and the immune response in naive and tumor‐bearing mice were investigated. The mice inoculated with mouse tumor cell lines were orally treated with 1 at the doses of 40, 60, and 80 mg/kg for 10 days. The effects of 1 on the growth of mouse‐transplantable S180 sarcoma and H22 hepatoma, splenocyte proliferation, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity, natural killer (NK) cell activity, and production of interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) from splenocytes in S180‐bearing mice were measured. Furthermore, the effect of 1 on 2,4‐dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB)‐induced delayed‐type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions and the sheep red blood cell (SRBC)‐induced antibody response in naive mice were also studied. Compound 1 could not only significantly inhibit the growth of mouse transplantable S180 sarcoma and H22 hepatoma, increase splenocytes proliferation, CTL and NK cell activity, and the level of IL‐2 secreted by splenocytes in tumor‐bearing mice, but also remarkably promote the DTH reaction and enhance anti‐SRBC antibody titers in naive mice. These results suggested that 1 could improve both cellular and humoral immune response, and could act as antitumor agent with immunomodulatory activity.     

Effect of antiserum against isologous aggregated immunoglobulins on the delayed-type hypersensitivity in mice immunized with sheep red blood cells

The mouse antiserum against isologous aggregated immunoglobulins (MAAS) injected to mice sensitized with 10(5) sheep red blood cells (SRBC) did not influence the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) tested on the peak of sensitization (the 4th day) but enhanced significantly DTH tested on the 6th day. MAAS completely abolished the DTH suppression observed after sensitization with 5 x 10(7) SRBC. In transfer experiments the number of the DTH suppressor cells decreased in the spleen of sensitized mice under the MAAS action. MAAS did not affect the proliferation of antibody-forming cells (AFC) and hemagglutinin production but reduced by 70% the number of rosette-forming cells (RFC) in the spleen on the peak of the initial immune response. The data obtained may indicate that RFC participate in DTH suppression.     

Regulation of the intensity of delayed-type hypersensitivity to sheep erythrocytes by the K-region of the major histocompatibility complex in mice

The injection of 6 x 10(9) sheep red blood cells (SRBC) to mice suppressed the delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) in situ and activated spleen T cells which prevent sensitization of syngeneic recipients. Similar effect was obtained when suppressor cells induced in F1 hybrids were transferred to parental mice. Suppression was also reached in allogeneic strain combination if suppressor cells of donors and recipients shared the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Studied performed with recombinant and mutant strains revealed that the prerequisite for interaction of DTH suppressors and effectors was the identity of K-region of MHC. Passive transfer of DTH to SRBC was also possible if donors and recipients were identical in K-region of MHC. It is believed that interaction between DTH suppressors and effectors is restricted by a region of MHC whose product takes part in antigen representation.     

Mycoplasma pulmonis depresses humoral and cell-mediated responses in mice

Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) were studied in mice infected experimentally with Mycoplasma pulmonis. The hemagglutinating (HA) antibody against SRBC was evaluated at 0, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days postinfection (PI). Antibody tiers during all days PI were depressed significantly (p less than 0.05) in infected mice as compared to noninfected controls. The HA antibody, which is of the IgM class, peaks at day 5 PI. There is no shift in the kinetics of the humoral response in M. pulmonis infected mice. Cellular immune responses were evaluated by a delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction and the lymphocyte transformation technique. Mice were sensitized at 0,3,5,7,14, 21 and 28 days PI with SRBC and challenged by footpad injection of SRBC 7 days later. The DTH reaction measured at 24 hours after challenge was depressed significantly (p less than 0.05) in all infected animals. After a transient enhancement on day 3 PI, the DTH responses remained depressed through day 28 PI. The lymphocyte transformation test showed a significantly (p less than 0.05) depressed response except on days 5 and 7 PI. These results indicate that M. pulmonis infection in mice suppresses the humoral antibody and cell-mediated immune responses.     

Modulatory effect of zinc on the proliferative response of murine spleen cells to polyclonal T cell mitogens

To study the effect of zinc on the proliferative response to polyclonal T cell mitogens, spleen cells from C57BL/6 mice were cultured with or without ZnCl2 and stimulated with graded doses of concanavalin A or phytohemagglutinin. Addition of 10(-4) M ZnCl2 inhibited proliferation whereas 10(-5) to 10(-6) M ZnCl2 did not modify the response to suboptimal doses of mitogen but increased DNA synthesis in cultures stimulated with high doses of mitogen (10 or 20 micrograms/ml of concanavalin A and 10 or 25 microliters/ml of phytohemagglutinin) which are supraoptimal for C57BL/6 mice, and inhibited proliferation in cultures of spleen cells from animals of this strain, low responder to T cell mitogens. In contrast, supplementation with ZnCl2 did not enhance the response to mitogen of spleen cells from high responder BALB/c mice. The enhancing effects of ZnCl2 on the proliferative response of C57BL/6 cells were not observed following depletion of adherent cells or in cultures supplemented with 5 X 10(-5) M 2-mercaptoethanol, both conditions capable of abrogating the inhibitory effect of high mitogen doses on the response of C57BL/6 cells.     

A new interpretation of the involvement of serotonin in delayed-type hypersensitivity. Serotonin-2 receptor antagonists inhibit contact sensitivity by an effect on T cells

5-HT is a neuromediator and a vasoactive amine released by platelets and murine mast cells at sites of inflammation. A role for 5-HT has been proposed in murine DTH and has been attributed to its 5-HT2R-dependent vasoactive properties. We have tested the hypothesis that the role of 5-HT in DTH is related to an interaction of 5-HT with DTH effector T cells. In vivo treatment of sensitized mice with the 5-HT2R antagonists methysergide or ketanserin inhibited both their capacity to elicit DTH and the ability of their lymphoid cells to transfer DTH. In vitro treatment of lymphoid cells, or of nylon wool-purified T cells from sensitized mice, with 10(-7) to 10(-9) M of the 5-HT2R antagonists methysergide, ketanserin, ritanserin, or LY 53857, followed by three washings, inhibited as strongly their ability to transfer DTH, both systemically or locally. Systemic and local co-transfer experiments of 5-HT2R antagonist-treated and untreated cells indicated that this inhibition was not related to the induction of suppression. 5-HT2R antagonist treatment was nontoxic to T cells; did not affect the in vitro response of T cells to mitogen; selectively inhibited the efferent, but not the afferent limb of DTH; and in the efferent T cell cascade, affected the late-acting (24 h) inflammatory DTH T cells, but not the early-acting, DTH-initiating T cells. 5-HT2R selectivity was suggested by the absence of effect of an alpha-adrenergic R antagonist, and by prevention of the inhibitory effect of a 5-HT2R antagonist by prior incubation with the selective 5-HT2R agonist 1-(2,5-dimethoxy phenyl-4-methyl)-2 aminopropane. In summary, inhibition of DTH effector T cell function appeared sufficient, independently of any vascular effect, to account for the in vivo inhibitory effect of 5-HT2R antagonists on the elicitation of DTH. Our data suggest that late-acting DTH effector T cells might express functional 5-HT2R, and that these receptors might require in vivo activation in order for the T cells to locally produce the inflammatory lymphokine-dependent aspects of DTH.     

Genetic restrictions of transfer of delayed-type hypersensitivity to sheep erythrocytes: local versus systemic transfer.

Regulation of the transfer of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions to SRBC was studied using two assays. In the systemic transfer, SRBC immune cells were transferred intravenously and the recipient challenged by injecting antigen into the footpad. In the local transfer assay, SRBC immune cells were mixed with antigen before transfer into the footpad of the recipient. These studies utilized B10.D2 and B10.BR mice which are congenic strains differing only at H-2 region. DTH reactions can be transferred across H-2 barriers using a local transfer assay. When the immune cells were transferred intravenously or depleted of adherent cells prior to local transfer, DTH reactions cannot be transferred to an H-2 congenic recipient. Spleen cells from naive mice syngeneic to the intravenously transferred cells supply the necessary accessory cell when mixed with the antigen prior to injection into the footpad. This accessory cell may be a macrophage.