Effects of antilymphocyte serum on thymic independent immunity. 1. Lack of immunosuppressive action on the antibody response to E. coli lipopolysaccharide

Previous studies have shown that cellular and humoral antibody production to type III pneumococcal polysaccharide (SSS-III) is not appreciably altered in neonatally thymectomized mice and is enhanced in animals which have been treated with ALS. In order to determine what effect ALS has on the response to another antigen which does appear to require helper T cells, immunity to E. coli 055:B5 has been investigated. BALB/c mice were injected i.p. with 0.25 ml of ALS on days ?1, 0, and +1 relative to the day of immunization (d.0) with a killed E. coli bacterial vaccine. Splenic plaque forming cells (PFC) and serum hemolysin and hemagglutinin titers were determined 6 days later using sheep erythrocytes which had been coated with purified E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Mice treated with ALS or normal heterologous serum and immunized with an optimal immunogenic dose of bacteria (150 × 10⁶) had similar numbers of splenic PFC and serum antibody titers. No significant immunosuppressive effect was noted over a wide range of antigen (0.015–1500 × 10⁶) although dose related variations were seen. In contrast to its effect on the response to SSS-III, no enhancement was noted. ALS treated mice which had been simultaneously immunized with E. coli and sheep RBC had specific depression of the T helper dependent response to SRBC but not to LPS. The lack of immunosuppressive effect on antibody production to E. coli LPS provides strong evidence that ALS preferentially acts on T lymphocytes. It further indicates that enhancement occurs with some but not all T helper independent antigens.     

Effect of an orally applied herbal immunomodulator on cytokine induction and antibody response in normal and immunosuppressed mice

The influence of the oral administration of a herbal immunomodulator, consisting of an aqueous-ethanolic extract of the mixed herbal drugs Thujae summitates, Baptisiae tinctoriae radix, Echinaceae purpureae radix and Echinaceae pallidae radix, on cytokine induction and antibody response against sheep red blood cells was investigated in mice. The treatment of the animals with the extract caused no enhancement of the cytokine titers in the serum. Spleen cells isolated from the treated mice, however, produced higher amounts of IL-2, IFNgamma and GM-CSF ex vivo in comparison to spleen cells isolated from control animals, especially after additional stimulation by lipopolysaccharides or concanavalin A. The application of the extract also triggered the production of IL-1 and TNFalpha by peritoneal macrophages ex vivo. The influence of the herbal extract on the antibody response was examined by the plaque forming cell assay. The administration of the extract caused a significant enhancement of the antibody response against sheep red blood cells, inducing an increase in the numbers of splenic plaque forming cells and the titers of specific antibodies in the sera of the treated animals. In mice, immunosuppressed by old age or additional treatment with hydrocortisone, the therapy with the extract resulted in a normalization of the antibody response against sheep red blood cells.     

Enhancement by interferon of natural killer cell activity in mice.

Injection of mice with several interferon inducers, Newcastle Disease virus, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid and tilorone resulted in an increase in spleen cell cytotoxicity for ⁵¹chromium-labeled mouse YAC tumor target cells in 4-hr in vitro assays. This increase in spleen cell cytotoxicity was abrogated by injection of mice with potent anti-mouse interferon globulin. Inoculation of mice with mouse interferon (but not human leucocyte or mock interferon preparations) also resulted in a marked enhancement of spleen cell cytotoxicity. The extent of enhancement of spleen cell cytotoxicity was directly proportional to the amount of interferon injected and a significant increase was observed after inoculation of as little as 10³ to 10⁴ units of interferon. An effect could be detected as soon as 1 hr after injection of interferon. The increase of spleen cell cytotoxicity after inoculation of an interferon inducer was not due to a localization and accumulation of cytotoxic cells in the spleen but reflected a general increase in cytotoxic cell activity in various lymphoid tissues (except the thymus). The splenic cytotoxic cells from interferon or interferon-inducer-injected mice had the characteristics of natural killer (NK) cells since (i) interferon enhanced spleen cell cytotoxicity in athymic (nu/nu) nude mice, (ii) classical spleen cell fractionation procedures by nylon wool columns, anti-Thy 1.2 serum plus complement, anti-Ig columns, and depletion of FcR+ rosette-forming cells, failed to remove the effector cells generated in vivo or in vitro. Therefore like NK cells, interferon-induced cytotoxic cells lack the surface markers of mature T and B lymphocytes, are not adherent, and are devoid of avid Fc receptors. Furthermore like NK cells, the spleen cells from interferon-treated mice lysed various target cells (known for their sensitivity to NK cells) without H-2 or species restriction. Incubation in vitro of normal spleen cells with interferon also resulted in an increase in cytotoxicity for YAC tumor cells. We conclude that interferon acts directly on NK cells and enhances the inherent cytotoxic activity of these cells.     

The immunosuppressive effect of type II mouse interferon preparations on antibody production.

Preparations containing Type II (immune induced) interferon suppressed the immune response to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) both in vitro and in vivo. Type II interferon preparations were 250 times more active in immunosuppression than Type I (L cell) interferon preparations in parallel experiments. The antiviral and immunosuppressive activities shared several unique physical-chemical activities including pH 2 lability, 56 °C stability, and resistance to inactivation by anti-L-cell interferon antibody. Both activities were denatured by boiling at 100 °C for 2.5 min, but were not renatured by boiling for 1 min with 1% SDS, 1% β-mercaptoethanol and 5M urea. The bulk of both the immunosuppressive and antiviral activities were recovered from a 41–60% saturated ammonium sulfate precipitate of Type II interferon. Sephadex G-100 column chromatography of Type II interferon preparations yielded two major peaks of anti-viral activity of molecular weights of approximately 40,000 and 90,000, both of which together contained the total immunomodulating activity observed in the proteins of the Chromatographic effluent. The 90,000-dalton species was also detected by its anti-viral and immunosuppressive activity on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.     

Mechanism of the suppressive effect of interferon on antibody synthesis in vivo.

Mouse interferon preparations significantly suppress the in vivo antibody response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC), a thymus-dependent antigen, and to Salmonella typhimurium lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a thymus-independent antigen. It is also possible to effect the late responses of antigen sensitive "memory" cells observed during secondary immunization by administration of interferon prior to primary immunization. The immunosuppressive activity of interferon was time- and dose-dependent. Maximum suppression was produced when animals were given 1.5 times 10-5 units of interferon between 4 and 48 hr before antigenic stimulation. These findings suggested that interferon affects some early event(s) in the process of antibody synthesis which might be related to the general inhibitory effect of interferon on rapidly dividing cells and viral m-RNA translation. In addition, the use of nonadherent spleen cell cultures from interferon-treated mice, immunized in vitro with a thymus-independent antigen, indicated that in this situation the inhibitory effect of interferon was due to an action on B lymphocytes. A variety of soluble "suppressive" factors are secreted by T cells as a consequence of activation by mitogens or specific antigens in vitro. Since T cells are recognized as one of the sources of interferon, it is suggested that interferon should be investigated as a suppressor T cell-produced lymphokine which can regulate B cell expression.     

Immunoadjuvant activity of pyran copolymer: I. Evidence for direct stimulation of T-lymphocytes and macrophages

A single injection of pyran copolymer has been shown to greatly increase the number of hemolytic plaque forming cells to sheep erythrocytes (sRBC). Pyran given from 1 day before to 2 days after sRBC inoculation increased both specific activity and plaques/spleen, suggesting that macrophage activation was probably not responsible for the enhancement seen. In addition, pyran given 1 day prior to the primary injection of sRBC was found to increase the secondary response to SRBC given alone. As similar experiments using thymectomized irradiated bone marrow reconstituted mice showed no increase in specific activity following pyran administration, it was unlikely that pyran was acting directly on B cells. Furthermore, experiments measuring the antibody response to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide, a thymic independent antigen, pyran did not increase the response to this antigen. In contrast to the above, pyran delayed and depressed cell mediated cytotoxicity to the allogeneic DBA/2 P815 mastocytoma. However, no difference in the titers of cytotoxic antibody against mastocytoma cells was seen between pyran-treated and normal animals. Pyran was mitogenic for spleen cells in vitro. However, following the administration of pyran in vivo, mitogen induced blastogenesis in vitro to PHA and LPS was inhibited and this inhibition was determined to be macrophage-dependent. These results are consistent with a model in which the immunoregulatory effects of pyran act through macrophages and T-lymphocytes.     

Lymphocyte transformation in casein-induced murine amyloidosis.

Spleen lymphocytes from casein-induced amyloidotic mice demonstrate diminished transformation in vitro to PHA-P, concanavalin A, and pokeweed mitogen but a normal response to lipopolysaccharide. Thymic and peripheral blood lymphocytes respond normally to these mitogens. The amyloidogen casein acted as a mitogen in both normal and casein injected mice. The diminished PHA responsiveness of spleen lymphocytes in vitro could have resulted from an inhibitory effect of amyloid fibrils on lymphocyte proliferation and did not indicate a generalized diminished cellular immunologic responsiveness of amyloidotic mice.     

BCG-induced enhancement of endotoxin sensitivity in C3H/HeJ mice. I. In vivo studies

C3H/HeJ mice exhibit a marked insensitivity to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vivo. Pretreatment of these mice with viable BCG organisms 11 days before LPS administration renders them sensitive to the lethal effects of a highly purified, phenol-extracted LPS. Other in vivo responses to LPS are increased in BCG-infected C3H/HeJ mice in parallel with enhanced lethality. These include 1) the elevation of serum interferon, 2) the production of the acute phase reactant, serum amyloid A (SAA), and 3) hypoglycemia. However, BCG infection has only a minimal effect on anti-LPS antibody production. BCG-infected C3H/HeJ mice approach the LPS sensitivity of normal C3H/HeN mice, but the enhanced LPS sensitivity is transient and decreases over a 2-month period. The ability of BCG to induce LPS sensitivity in C3H/HeJ mice demonstrates that LPS unresponsiveness is not due to an absolute defect in this strain, but rather, a partially reversible state of hyporesponsiveness. In addition, these findings, in conjunction with other observations, suggest that the enhancement of LPS sensitivity induced by BCG infection is mediated primarily through an effect on T cells and/or macrophages rather than B lymphocytes.     

Corticosteroids and the humoral immune response of mice. II. Enhancement of bone marrow antibody formation to lipopolysaccharide by high doses of corticosteroids.

The effect of injection of the synthetic corticosteroid dexamethasone sodium phosphate upon the primary response to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was studied in mouse spleen and bone marrow. Daily corticosteroid injections, starting 1 day before immunization with LPS, could suppress the anti-LPS plaque-forming cell (PFC) response in the spleen. The higher the dose of corticosteroids, the more the splenic PFC response was suppressed. On the other hand, the bone marrow PFC response showed a dose-dependent enhancement after corticosteroid injections. This effect was maximal when tested 7 days after antigen injection, and constituted a 3- to 15-fold increase after daily injection of 16 mg dexamethasone/kg body wt. The same effect was found in genetically athymic nude mice, showing that the corticosteroid-mediated enhancement of the anti-LPS PFC response in the bone marrow is not due to elimination of T suppressor cells. Probably the differential effect of corticosteroids upon antibody formation in spleen and bone marrow is due to a redistribution of B-lineage cells, with a resulting accumulation in the bone marrow.     

T-lymphocyte function and sensitivity to interferon in trisomy 21

Previous studies have shown that cells from subjects with trisomy 21 have enhanced sensitivity to the antiviral effects of interferon, presumably because of the location of the gene, IfRec, coding for the species-specific response to interferon on chromosome 21. Interferon is also known to have many other effects including the ability to inhibit the proliferation of many types of cells. To determine whether proliferating trisomic lymphocytes are more sensitive to the antiproliferative effect of interferon we have investigated, using healthy noninstitutionalized subjects with trisomy 21, the ability of interferon to inhibit the proliferation of lymphocytes stimulated with phytohemagglutinin P(PHA), concanavalin A (Con A), and tetanus toxoid. The trisomic subjects had normal numbers of peripheral blood leukocytes, and normal numbers and proportions of T and B lymphocytes. The production of interferon by PHA-stimulated trisomic T lymphocytes was normal. Trisomic lymphocytes also had normal proliferative responses to PHA and Con A. There were no differences between the inhibitory effects of interferon on the proliferation of PHA-stimulated trisomic and normal lymphocytes. However, trisomic lymphocytes stimulated with low doses of Con A did display significantly enhanced sensitivity to the antiproliferative effects of interferon. In contrast to normal lymphocytes, trisomic lymphocytes were not stimulated to proliferate by tetanus toxoid, and exposure to interferon resulted in enhancement, rather than inhibition, of DNA synthesis.     

Differentiation of the immunosuppressive and antiviral effects of interferon.

Virus-induced (virus-type) interferon suppression of the in vitro antibody response of mouse (C57B1/6) spleen cells to sheep red blood cells was blocked by 5 × 10^?5M 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME). The blockade was not due to a direct effect on interferon since 2-ME was capable of blocking the suppression when added to cultures up to 48 hr after interferon. 2-ME blockade of virus-type interferon immunosuppression was not due to the immunoenhancing property of 2-ME. Similar protective effects of 2-ME were observed during immunosuppression by virus-type interferon inducers, but not T-cell mitogen inducers of interferon (immune interferon). The data suggest that the immunosuppressive properties of virus-type and immune interferon preparations involve different mechanisms. Virus-type interferon inhibited DNA synthesis in unstimulated spleen cell cultures and in 2-ME stimulated cultures, and the degree of inhibition of DNA synthesis appeared to be related to the immunosuppressive property of interferon in the absence or presence of 2-ME. 2-ME did not affect the antiviral properties of either virus-type or immune interferon in nonlymphoid cells. Further, the induction of virustype interferon in spleen cells was neither inhibited nor enhanced by 2-ME, while the induction of immune interferon was enhanced. This enhancement is consistent with 2-ME enhancement of the immunosuppressive effects of immune interferon inducers.There are two possibilities for 2-ME blockade of the immunosuppressive effect of virus-type interferon, while not affecting the antiviral property. Firstly, the immunosuppressive and antiviral properties of virus-type interferon may involve different mechanisms at the subcellular level. Secondly, the selectivity of the blockade by 2-ME could be due to the fact that spleen cells are the target cells in immunosuppression, while L cells are the target cells in inhibition of virus replication. Thus, virus-type interferon may suppress the immune response at the level of the macrophage and 2-ME may reverse this effect by replacing a blocked macrophage function.     

Loss of Atrx Sensitizes Cells to DNA Damaging Agents through p53-Mediated Death Pathways

Prevalent cell death in forebrain- and Sertoli cell-specific Atrx knockout mice suggest that Atrx is important for cell survival. However, conditional ablation in other tissues is not associated with increased death indicating that diverse cell types respond differently to the loss of this chromatin remodeling protein. Here, primary macrophages isolated from Atrx ^f/f mice were infected with adenovirus expressing Cre recombinase or β-galactosidase, and assayed for cell survival under different experimental conditions. Macrophages survive without Atrx but undergo rapid apoptosis upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) activation suggesting that chromatin reorganization in response to external stimuli is compromised. Using this system we next tested the effect of different apoptotic stimuli on cell survival. We observed that survival of Atrx-null cells were similar to wild type cells in response to serum withdrawal, anti-Fas antibody, C2 ceramide or dexamethasone treatment but were more sensitive to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Cell survival could be rescued by re-introducing Atrx or by removal of p53 demonstrating the cell autonomous nature of the effect and its p53-dependence. Finally, we demonstrate that multiple primary cell types (myoblasts, embryonic fibroblasts and neurospheres) were sensitive to 5-FU, cisplatin, and UV light treatment. Together, our results suggest that cells lacking Atrx are more sensitive to DNA damaging agents and that this may result in enhanced death during development when cells are at their proliferative peak. Moreover, it identifies potential treatment options for cancers associated with ATRX mutations, including glioblastoma and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.     

Interferon inhibition of the primary in vitro antibody response to a thymus-independent antigen

Partially purified and crude mouse L cell interferon preparations inhibited the in vitro plaque-forming cell (PFC) response of mouse C57B1/6 spleen cells to the T-cell independent lipopolysaccharide antigen of Escherichia coli 0127. PFC responses of 5-day cultures were inhibited approximately 70–90% by 100–200 NIH reference units of interferon/culture. A similar inhibitory effect was obtained with spleen cells from athymic (nude) mice homozygous for the nu/nu allele. Spleen cultures depleted of adherent cells were also inhibited in their anti-0127 PFC response by interferon. Interferon, then, appears capable of inhibiting the PFC response to E. coli 0127 via direct action on B cells. Heating experiments along with the use of interferon preparations of different specific activities suggest that the inhibition was due to the interferon in the preparations.     

Strain differences in the ability of antithymocyte serum (ATS) to enhance the antibody response of inbred mice to type 3 pneumococcal polysaccharide

Treatment with antithymocyte serum (ATS), prepared in burros or rabbits, significantly enhanced the antibody response to Type III pneumococcal polysaccharide (SSS-III) in 5 inbred and 2 hybrid strains of mice. The degree of enhancement attained depended upon the dose of ATS employed. Strains of mice differed with respect to the amount of enhancement produced following treatment with a given dose of the same preparation of ATS.     

Natural killing can be independent of interferon generated in vitro

PBL produce interferon in response to culture with the tumor cell line K562, but this production of interferon does not correlate with natural cytotoxicity. A basal level of natural killing is independent of interferon generated in vitro. We base this conclusion on the following findings: (i) natural killing and interferon level are not temporally correlated; (ii) preincubation of lymphocytes at 37 °C greatly reduces their ability to produce interferon but does not affect their lytic capacity against K562; and, (iii) addition of an anti-interferon antibody has no effect on NK. We conclude that NK against K562 is not dependent upon or correlated with the level of interferon generated during in vitro assay.     

Suppression of in vitro antibody responses by Listeria primed spleen cells.

Spleen cells from mice primed with virulent Listeria monocytogenes do not develop an anti-SRBC plaque forming cell response to SRBC in culture. Furthermore, when Listeria primed spleen cells are co-cultured with normal spleen cells and SRBC, the anti-SRBC response of the normal cells is suppressed. Listeria primed spleen cells from T cell depleted donors are equally effective at immunosuppression. The immunosuppressive effect does not appear to be due to the presence of the bacterium or its products per se in the cultures. Furthermore, the effect cannot be transferred across a 0.45 μm pore membrane. Kinetic studies show that the immunosuppressive effect develops by 2 days post-Listeria inoculation and peaks by Day 6. Low doses of Listeria are not immunosuppressive and produce some enhancement effect. From these results, it is suggested that a population of non-T cell dependent cells develop in Listeria primed hosts that nonspecifically suppress the response of B cells to an unrelated antigen in culture.     

Role of mediators of cellular hypersensitivity in the stimulation of the antibody formation to unrelated antigen

The effect of a concurrent delayed hypersensitivity reaction on the antibody response to sheep red cells was assessed by a plaque assay. Guinea pigs with delayed hypersensitivity to tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) or egg albumin showed an increased antibody response to sheep red cells when the cells were injected intravenously at the same time as PPD or egg albumin. This effect was transferred to normal guinea pigs by serum from guinea pigs with delayed hypersensitivity to PPD or egg albumin taken 24 hr after injecting the corresponding antigen. Supernatants containing migratory inhibitory factor were prepared by incubating lymphocytes from sensitized rabbits with antigen. These supernatants were injected with sheep red cells and gave rise to an enhanced plaque response. Similar results were obtained with supernatants from normal rabbit thymus cells. The role of mediators of delayed hypersensitivity in enhancing antibody formation and in T cell/B cell cooperation is discussed.     

Interferon: a mediator of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase induction by lipopolysaccharide, poly(I) X poly(C), and pokeweed mitogen in mouse lung

When C3H/He mice were treated with lipopolysaccharide, poly(I) X poly(C), or pokeweed mitogen, the serum interferon titer increased almost instantaneously (100-2000 units/ml), and then the pulmonary indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase was induced 50- to 140-fold. The peaks corresponding to interferon induction always preceded (approximately 24 h) those corresponding to dioxygenase induction. In C3H/HeJ (lipopolysaccharide-nonresponder) mice, however, lipopolysaccharide was totally inert in induction of both interferon and dioxygenase, although treatment with poly(I) X poly(C) and pokeweed mitogen led to a remarkable increase in the serum interferon titer and the enzyme activity. When lymphocytes of C3H/HeJ mice were inactivated by X irradiation and then reconstituted by the transfer of spleen cells from C3H/He mice, both enzyme and interferon from C3H/HeJ mice thus treated were induced almost normally after the lipopolysaccharide treatment. In addition, murine interferon alpha/beta, which was injected intravenously in C3H/He or C3H/HeJ mice, almost instantaneously and dose-dependently induced the pulmonary enzyme, and at a dose of 10(5) units per mouse the enzyme activity was enhanced 20- to 26-fold in these two strains of mice. These results suggest that interferon, which is generated by the interaction of lymphocytes with lipopolysaccharide, poly(I) X poly(C), or pokeweed mitogen, is a mediator of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase induction in the mouse lung by these agents.     

Proportion of lymphocytes forming E, EA, and EAC rosettes following treatment with human interferon preparations in vitro

The proportion of lymphocytes forming E, EA, and EAC rosettes after treatment with human interferon preparations in vitro was measured. While interferon increased the percentage of lymphocytes forming E rosettes, the percentage of cells forming EA rosettes was diminished. The proportion of lymphocytes forming EAC rosettes was not altered to any major extent by interferon treatment. The same effects were observed when fibroblast interferon, purified to homogeneity with regard to molecular weight, was used.     

Antigenic markers on mouse lymphoid cells: origin of cells mediating immunologic memory

Specific antisera were used for the purification of thymus dependent and thymus independent or bursa equivalent lymphoid cells in the mouse. Spleen cells from mice immune to sheep erythrocytes, a thymus dependent antigen, or to E. coli 055:B5 lipopolysaccharide, a thymus independent antigen, were treated with anti-θ (C3H) serum or anti-MBLA serum and complement prior to their adoptive transfer into lethally irradiated syngeneic recipients. Syngeneic thymocytes, bone marrow cells, or spleen cells from nonimmune donors were appropriately added to antiserum treated cells prior to transfer. The secondary response to these antigens was assayed in recipient spleens six days after cell transfer. The kinetics of the primary response to SRBC was investigated as to its effect on origin of specific hyper-reactive T or B lymphoid cells.The adoptive response to CPS originated in the B lymphoid cell population. Immunologic memory to CPS was demonstrated in recipients of immune cells, compared to recipients of normal cells, by a five fold increase in antibody forming cells.The IgM and IgG adoptive immune response to high doses of SRBC depended upon an increased number of specifically hyper-reactive T-lymphoid cells to facilitate cooperation between T and B lymphocytes. High doses of SRBC initially stimulated T cell memory but at 42 days after priming an increased number of specifically hyper-reactive B lymphoid cells were present.