LFA-1/ICAM-1在ConA诱导的小鼠胸腺细胞活化中的作用

用抗LFA-1/ICAM-1粘附分子单克隆抗体和ConA联合刺激小鼠胸腺细胞,初步研究了该膜分子在经TCR/CD3介导的胸腺细胞活化信号传导以及胸腺细胞亚群选择中的作用。在ConA刺激系统中,抗ALFA-1/ICAM-1单抗均能抑制胸腺细胞的增殖应答,且以抗LFA-1单抗的作用更为显著;而在PMA加钙离子载体A23187刺激体系中,抗LFA-1单抗却表现出明显的促活化效应。当加入IL-2 时,抗LFA——1/ICAM-1单抗便不能抑制ConA刺激的胸腺细胞活化。此外,抗体对已活化的胸腺母细胞增殖也无影响。FACS分析的结果还显示,抗LFA-1单抗可明显降低CD4~-CD8~ 胸腺细胞亚群的比例,而抗ICAM-1单抗对此无影响。表明胸腺细胞表面粘附分子LFA-1具有直接参与TCR/CD3途径介导的跨膜信号传导的功能,并对CD4~-CD8~ 胸腺细胞亚群的功能分化与成熟可能起重要作用。     

LFA-1在胸腺细胞活化信号传导中的功能研究

在ConA和固相抗CD_3单抗刺激系统中,应用抗LFA-1/ICAM-1单抗,研究其在胸腺细胞活化中的功能作用,结果证明,培养初期加入可溶性抗LFA-1可完全阻断ConA活化胸腺细胞增殖,对固相抗CD3单抗诱导的胸腺细胞活化也表现出相同的抑制效应,但对ConA刺激24h后的胸腺细胞应答以及IL-1 IL-2诱导的胸腺细胞增殖无影响。在可溶性抗LFA-1单抗的存在下,ConA诱导胸腺细胞合成IL-2和IL-6的能力显著下降,IL-2R的表达降低。此外,当用固相抗LFA-1和固相抗CD3或用二抗交联LFA-1和CD3刺激胸腺细胞时,抗LFA-1则具有明显地促增殖应答效应,单纯固相抗LFA-1刺激或交联LFA-1均无诱导活化作用,研究结果表明,LFA-1是未成熟胸腺细胞活化的重要辅助分子之一,它可参与TCR/CD3途径介导的早期活化信号的传导,并为胸腺细胞表达IL-2R 和产生IL-2可能提供复合刺激信号。     

LFA—1／ICAM—1在ConA诱导的小鼠胸腺细胞活化中的作用

用抗ＬＦＡ－１／ＩＣＡＭ－１粘附分子单克隆抗体和ＣｏｎＡ联合刺激小鼠胸腺细胞,初步研究了该膜分子在经ＴＣＲ／ＣＤ３介导的胸腺细胞活化信号传导以及胸腺细胞亚群选择中的作用。在ＣｏｎＡ刺激系统中,抗ＡＬＦＡ－１／ＩＣＡＭ－１单抗均能抑制胸腺细胞的增殖应答,且以抗ＬＦＡ－１单抗均能抑制胸腺细胞的增殖应答,且以抗ＬＦＡ－１单抗的作用更为显著,而在ＰＡＭ加钙离子载体Ａ２３１８７刺激体系中,抗ＬＦＡ－１单抗却     

凋亡相关分子PF18-3在ConA诱导活化后胸腺细胞凋亡中的表达特性分析

对抗体PF18-3识别分子(PF18-3分子)在胸腺细胞活化后凋亡过程中的表达特性进行了观察分析,结果表明:经ConA活化后胸腺细胞经历活化后凋亡,表现为DNA梯状片段产生的时相后移,活化后期细胞TUNEL染色阳性。经FACS门技术分析确认,PF18-3分子在亚二倍体高含量的凋亡胸腺细胞亚群特异表达。与凋亡相关的Fas和膜磷脂易位表达的动态比较提示,PF18-3分子与前两类分子不同,可能为新型胸腺细胞凋亡相关分子。     

淋巴细胞对造血干细胞增殖的放大作用

小鼠的胸腺细胞对多向性造血干细胞(CFU-S)的增殖有明显的“放大”。作用,而这个“放大”作用的实现,是胸腺细胞与骨髓细胞之比例达到500∶1时为最好。小鼠胸腺细胞对多向性造血干细胞的分化也有明显的影响;本实验表明首先出现红系分化的增强,然后再出现粒系分化的增强。被激活的胸腺及脾脏的淋巴细胞(T细胞)对CFU-S的增殖具有更强的“放大”作用。在去胸腺小鼠的实验中表明ConA对CFU-S没有直接的作用。ConA作用于胸腺等T淋巴细胞,被激活的T细胞再作用于造血干细胞。本实验初步表明,淋巴细胞对造血干细胞的激活作用,必须在完整的活的淋巴细胞与造血干细胞直接接触或接近下才能实现。     

LFA—1在胸腺细胞活化信号传导中的功能研究

在Ｃｏｎ Ａ和固相抗ＣＤ３单抗刺激系统中,应用抗ＬＦＡ－１／ＩＣＡＭ－１单抗,研究其在胸腺细胞活化中的功能作用,结果证明,培养初期加入可溶性抗ＬＦＡ－１可完全阻断Ｃｏｎ Ａ活化腺细胞增殖,对固相抗ＣＤ３单抗诱导的胸腺细胞活化也表现也相同的抑制效应,但对Ｃｏｎ Ａ刺激２４ｈ后的胸腺细胞应答以及ＩＬ－１＋ＩＬ－２诱导的胸腺细胞直殖无影响,在可溶性抗ＬＦＡ－１单抗的存在下,Ｃｏｎ Ａ诱导胸腺细胞合成ＩＬ     

肉苁蓉多糖的促淋巴细胞增殖作用

目的研究肉苁蓉多糖（CDPS）对小鼠淋巴细胞增殖的影响。方法MTT法检测小鼠脾淋巴细胞的增殖。环磷酰胺（Cy）复制免疫功能低下的动物模型,分别测定正常及免疫低下动物脾脏、胸腺指数。胸腺细胞增殖法测定白细胞介素-2（IL-2）活性。结果CDPS对丝裂原（ConA及LPS）活化淋巴细胞及未活化正常细胞均有明显促增殖作用,并促进淋巴细胞IL-2的分泌。腹腔给药显示CDPS具明显提高正常及免疫低下小鼠的脾指数,对因Cy所致胸腺指数的降低也有显著的对抗作用。结论CDPS可显著促进小鼠脾淋巴细胞增殖,该作用可能与其促IL-2分泌有关。     

胸腺激素对淋巴细胞免疫功能调节的研究:Ⅰ胸腺素F5对有丝分裂原诱导下小鼠胸腺细胞增殖反应的影响

本文介绍了用氚胸腺嘧啶核苷(~3H-TdR)掺入微量法测定小鼠胸腺细胞增殖反应的方法与影响因素;并应用此方法研究胸腺素F_5在体外对小鼠胸腺细胞在有丝分裂原诱导下增殖反应的影响。实验结果表明:小鼠胸腺细胞对ConA刺激反应远较对PHA刺激反应明显。在ConA作用下~3H-TdR掺入强度与胸腺细胞数量,ConA浓度及作用时间有关。同位素浓度与标记时间也直接影响。~3H-TdR掺入。胸腺素F_5在体外与小鼠胸腺细胞预育20小时左右(16—24小时)可增强胸腺细胞对ConA刺激的反应,但对PHA刺激无此作用。胸腺素F_5对小鼠胸腺细胞作用的有效剂量为50—200微克/1×10~7细胞/毫升。胸腺素F_5的这种增强作用,对各年龄组小鼠胸腺细胞都有所表现,但年龄较老的8月龄小鼠胸腺细胞对胸腺素F_5作用反应微弱。胸腺素F_5能增强胸腺细胞对ConA刺激的反应是否由于它能通过某种机制加速T细胞功能分化成熟有关,有待今后进一步研究确定。     

TCRαβ+3G11-6C10-CD4+CD8-胸腺髓质细胞亚群的特性分析

CD4+CD8-及CD4-CD8+单阳性(SP)胸腺细胞是不均一的细胞群体,存在功能成熟的分化过程并同时伴随有表型的变化.为深入研究CD4+SP中的不同表型和不同功能状态的细胞群体,利用多种抗体加补体杀伤和细胞panning方法,分离得到小鼠3G11-6C10-CD4+CD8-胸腺髓质细胞亚群.该群细胞为TCRαβ+CD69loHSAmed/lo,有15%的Qa-2分子表达.可接受Con A的刺激进行增殖应答并分泌IL-6,IL-4和IL-10等Th2型细胞因子及低水平的IFNγ,但不分泌IL-2.根据3G11-6C10-CD4+CD8-胸腺细胞的表型和功能特点,推测该群细胞是正常的胸腺细胞亚群之一,处于CD4+SP成熟过程的中后期,是Th0向Th2转化的过渡型细胞.     

草鱼、中华鳖脾细胞培养上清液ＩＬ—２物质的检测

用刀豆蛋白Ａ（ConA)刺激诱导草鱼和中华鳖脾细胞,收细胞培养上清液,用小鼠胸腺细胞增殖试验和对小鼠Ｌ９２９细胞系杀伤试验检测上清液中白细胞介素－２（简称ＩＬ－２）活性。结果表明：草鱼、中华鳖脾细胞培养上清液中有ＩＬ－２样活性物质,这种物质使小鼠的胸腺细胞^3H-TdR掺入量明显增加,在相同效靶比的条件下对小鼠Ｌ９２９细胞系杀伤率也显著增强,这种ＩＬ－２活性均能被抗人rIL-2血清所抑制。中华鳖脾细胞培养上清液（含ＩＬ－２）对中华鳖胸腺细胞也有较明显的促增殖作用并能消除兔抗中华鳖胸腺细胞血清（ＲＡＴＴＳ）对中华鳖胸腺细胞增殖的抑制作用,进一步用抗人白细胞分化抗原ＣＤ２５（ＩＬ－２受体,简称ＩＬ－２Ｒ）单克隆抗体进行免疫组化交叉反应提示草鱼、中华鳖淋巴细胞膜上含有与人类ＩＬ－２Ｒ类似功能和结构的物质。     

The role of rat Crry, a complement regulatory protein, in proliferation of thymocytes

In our previous work we showed that 3F10 monoclonal antibody (mAb), which recognizes the rat complement receptor 1-related/gene protein y (Crry), induces homotipic aggregation of thymocytes. In this work we studied the effect of 3F10 mAb on proliferation of rat thymocytes stimulated with concanavalin A (ConA) or by cross-linking the T cell receptor (TCR) by anti-alphabetaTCR mAb (R73), in vitro, and the mechanisms involved in the process. Our results show that 3F10 mAb stimulates proliferation of total thymocytes triggered by suboptimal concentrations of ConA or TCR cross-linking, in a dose-dependent manner. Maximal stimulation was observed using 10 microg/ml and 20 microg/ml of 3F10 mAb, respectively. The 3F10-induced stimulation of thymocytes proliferation in the presence of ConA, that was followed by increased production of interleukin-2 (IL-2), up-regulation of the expression of IL-2 receptor alpha (IL-2Ralpha) and was inhibited by anti-CD11a and anti-CD18 mAbs. Purified thymocytes did not respond by proliferation to 3F10 mAb, either alone or in combination with R73 mAb or ConA. Proliferation of these cells was achieved only in the presence of OX-6+ antigen-presenting cells (APC) and additional signals transmitted by TCR or ConA. These results suggest that Crry is involved in the LFA-1 dependent proliferation of thymocytes, a phenomenon that has not been recognized so far.     

Functional maturation of mouse CD4~+CD8~- thymocytes induced by medullary-type thymus epithelial cells

Murine CD4+CD8- (CD4SP) thymocyte subset is a heterogeneous population, in which the Qa-2- cells are less functional, whereas the Qa-2+ cells are fully functional. Evidence is provided here that the transition from Qa-2- to Qa-2+ CD4SP thymocytes is an intrathymic process of differentiation induced by thymic medullary-type epithelial cells. The separated Qa-2-CD4SP could be induced to express Qa-2 molecules up to 84%- 89% of the total viable celb after cocultured for 3d with MTEC1 cells, a murine thymic medullary type epithelial cell line established in our laboratory. Kinetic study showed that both the percentage of Qa-2+ cells and the density of the expressed Qa-2 molecules on CD4SP thymocytes induced by MTEC1 were progressively increasing in 72-h cultures. The MTECl-induced Qa-2+CD4SP thymocytes were fully functional, which exhibited capabilities of proliferation and cytokine secretion in response to Con A stimulation as high as those of freshly isolated Qa-2+CD4SP thymocytes. The profile of cytokine     

Lymphocyte depletion in thymic nurse cells: a tool to identify in situ lympho-epithelial complexes having thymic nurse cell characteristics

Summary In situ pre-existing complexes of epithelial cells and thymocytes having thymic nurse cell characteristics were visualized in the murine thymus cortex using dexamethasone as a potent killer of cortisone-sensitive thymocytes. The degradation and subsequent depletion of cortisone-sensitive thymocytes enclosed within cortical epithelial cells appeared to be paralleled by thymocyte degradation and depletion in thymic nurse cells isolated from thymic tissue fragments from dexamethasone-treated animals. This suggests that thymic nurse cells are derived from pre-existing sealed complexes of cortical epithelial cells and thymocytes. Not all thymocytes situated within in situ epithelial or thymic nurse cells complexes appear to be cortisone-sensitive: a minority of 1–2 thymocytes per complex survives the dexamethasone-treatment, thus constituting a minor subset of cortical cortisone-resistant thymocytes predominantly localized within cortical epithelial cells in situ and within thymic nurse cells derived from such structures. Cortisone resistance in thymocytes thus seems to be acquired within the cortical epithelial cell microenvironment. Cortisone-resistant thymocytes in thymic nurse cells express the phenotype of mature precursors of the T helper lineage, indicating that the in situ correlates of thymic nurse cells may play an important role in T cell maturation and selection.     

Thymic lymphocytes. III. Cooperative phenomenon in the proliferation of thymocytes under Con A stimulation

In the present paper, the response of thymocytes to Con A is analyzed in terms of a cooperative phenomenon between medullary thymocytes, cortical thymocytes, thymic accessory cells, and interleukin 2. Medullary thymocytes respond spontaneously to Con A and produce IL-2. The addition of exogenously produced IL-2 enhances their proliferation. Small numbers of cortical (PNA+) thymocytes do not respond to Con A, even in the presence of IL-2-containing supernatant. By increasing the number of PNA+ cells per well, sensitivity to Con A and IL-2 appears. This response may be linked either to the increase in a minor PNA+-responding population and/or to the enhanced contamination by medullary thymocytes and macrophages in non-responding PNA+ thymocyte population. In this hypothesis, either the contaminating cells respond by themselves and/or cooperate with PNA+ cells to induce their proliferation. Coculture of non-responding low numbers of PNA+ thymocytes with Con A- and IL-2-containing supernatant in the presence of PNA- cells containing thymic medullary thymocytes and macrophages always produces a higher response than that of each individual population. These results show that a cooperative phenomenon occurs in the cocultures of PNA+ and PNA- thymic cells. We can show using PNA+ and PNA- thymocytes with different Thy 1 alleles, that indeed both PNA+ and populations participate PNA-thymocytes with different Thy 1 alleles, that indeed both PNA+ and PNA- populations participate in the generation of proliferating cells. We can demonstrate, by lysis experiments with monoclonal antibodies and complement that at the end of coculture, most of the proliferating cells are Lyt 1+, and part are Lyt 2+ or L3T4+. We discuss the fact that the phenotype of the cells after activation does not allow us to deduce the phenotype of their precursors. Lysis of Ia+ cells prior to coculture, reduces the level of the proliferative response but does not modify the percentage of cooperation produced by the coculture. Cooperation with medullary mature thymocytes or the presence of active Ia- accessory cells possibly able to convert to Ia expression during coculture experiments may account for these results.     

Thymus hormones do not induce proliferative ability or cytolytic function in PNA+ cortical thymocytes

A variety of thymus hormone preparations, as well as drugs known to perturb cell differentiation, were tested for their ability to induce nonfunctional cortical thymocytes to become functional precursor cells. Murine cortical thymocytes, defined as the high peanut agglutinin (PNA) binding or as the low H-2K, major [86%] thymocyte subpopulation, were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Their function was assessed in a high cloning efficiency, growth factor saturated, concanavalin A-stimulated limit-dilution culture system, determining the number of precursors of extended clones (PTL-p), or determining with a lectin-mediated tumor-lysis readout the number of precursors of cytolytic clones (CTL-p). The hormone preparations tested were crude or partially purified culture supernatants from thymus "epithelial" monolayers (TES), soluble extracts of thymic nonlymphoid tissue (STF), semipure thymus humoral factor (THF), and the pure peptides thymopoietin 32-36 (TP5) and "facteur thymique sérique" (FTS). These preparations were either added directly to the limit dilution cultures, or were first preincubated with the cells, which were then subjected to limit-dilution culture. In no case did the hormone preparations cause any increase in the level of PTL-p or CTL-p in the PNA+ or low H-2K thymocyte population, even though a conversion of only a few percent to functional cells could have been detected. Two possible explanations are considered. One is that the main function of these materials is to control post-thymic peripheral T cells, rather than to induce intrathymic differentiation. Another is that the typical cortical thymocyte is beyond the stage at which thymocytes can be induced by hormones, a view that is strengthened by the failure of either 5-azacytidine or the phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol 13-acetate to activate these cells. In this latter explanation the true intrathymic target of hormone action may be an earlier, and very minor, thymus subpopulation.     

Hydrolase histochemistry of the thymus: development and species variations

In the present investigation the localization and activity of alkaline, neutral, and acid hydrolases of the thymus were studied during development of rats and mice and of various adult species using histochemical methods. If different procedures of tissue pretreatment were employed, several inhibition effects and morphological as well as enzyme histochemical artifacts occurred dependent on the mode of tissue pretreatment. After embedding in glycol methacrylate, sections of the thymus showed a better structural preservation than cryostat sections but were accompanied by a drastic decrease of activity and low localization quality of the final reaction products especially in the case of protease studies with 4-methoxy-2-naphthylamine peptides as substrates. Smears of thymic cells facilitated the allocation of enzymes to mobile or fixed cells in the stroma of the thymus. The perivascular localization of aminopeptidase M could only be shown with combined techniques. In comparison, primarily the proteases yielded information on the thymic stroma and in this context especially on the epithelial reticular cells and the stroma proper but also on thymocytes (lymphocytes) and enabled a species-dependent subdivision of the thymic reticulum already in the light microscope. Enzyme histochemically the development of the rat and mouse thymus could be subdivided into an early period and perinatal (pre- and postnatal) period of functional differentiation. Morphological (proliferation of cortical lymphocytes) and enzyme histochemical changes (disappearance of dipeptidylpeptidase IV, significant loss of alkaline phosphatase activity and beginning activity increase of aminopeptidase M) occurred primarily at the transition from the early to the prenatal period. During the postnatal phase, a significant activation of lysosomal enzymes in the thymic medulla and general enzymatic differentiation of the cortical epithelial reticular cells were found. Species differences and species similarities for the respective enzymes and their localization as well as for the thymic cells were noticed for adult rats, mice, guinea-pigs, hamsters, and marmoset monkeys. Differences were true especially for the thymocytes; less species differences were seen for the epithelial reticular cells; capsular and perivascular connective tissue and the macrophages behaved rather similarly. Species-independently certain medullary epithelial reticular cells showed high and typically localized alkaline phosphatase activities and species-dependently also high activities of neutral hydrolases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Control of helper-T-cell proliferation by recognition of Ia and Mac-1 antigens on phagocytic cells of the thymic reticulum

Phagocytic cells of the thymic reticulum (P-TR) have been previously described as being Ia-positive, Mac-1-positive accessory cells which pursue a close relationship with thymocytes. They form rosettes with thymocytes, and these rosettes are inhibited by antibody directed against the complement receptor type 3 CR3 (anti-Mac-1). P-TR induce the proliferation of syngeneic thymocytes. In the present paper, we show that thymocytes enriched in mature medullary type are induced to proliferate in coculture with syngeneic P-TR, while the cortical type does not. After 5 days of culture, 85% of the thymocytes are of helper L3T4+Lyt-2- phenotype. As previously shown by others for syngeneic reactions, antibodies directed against related class II antigens (anti-I-A and anti-I-E) block this helper-T-cell syngeneic proliferation. A new finding is the blockage of helper-T-cell proliferation by anti-Mac-1 as well as with anti-LFA-1 antibodies, showing that accessory molecules may be as important as specific recognition of class II antigen molecules in the control of thymocyte proliferation and hence in thymocyte selection. Mac-1, like LFA-1, belongs to a novel family of differentiation antigens involved in cell interactions. The blockage of cell recognition and interaction between P-TR and thymocytes by either anti-Ia or anti-Mac-1 during the early induction phase of the syngeneic response leads to its inhibition. We demonstrate that P-TR/thymocyte interaction stimulates the enhanced expression of IL-2 receptors on thymocytes, a step which is necessary for helper-T-cell proliferation. The mechanism of syngeneic proliferation inhibition by anti-Ia, anti-Mac-1, and LFA-1 antibodies may be the prevention of IL-2 receptor expression on thymocytes, and/or the inhibition of IL-2 secretion. Although this is an in vitro model, which may not totally reflect in situ situation, our results indicate that thymic accessory cells may participate in a positive selection process which leads to helper-T-cell proliferation.     

Opposing reactivities of subpopulations of T lymphocytes toward syngeneic tumor cells: separation of early thymocytes.

The present communication is a continuation of earlier studies which indicated that interaction between syngeneic tumors and those lymphocytes in the early stages of thymic processing can result in enhanced tumor growth in vivo. The thymocytes involved in this tumor enhancement were found previously in the rapidly dividing subpopulation of subcapsular cortical thymocytes, both in the untreated thymus and in the thymus undergoing repopulation after cortisone depletion. In the present experiments we have isolated this small subpopulation of early thymocytes. After cortisone injection such cells could be separated from the medullary cortisone-resistant thymocytes since the latter cells exhibit a high level of surface H-2 antigens and were thus lysed preferentially by anti-H-2 serum and complement. The repopulating subcapsular early thymocytes, which were resistant to this treatment, were incapable of responding to PHA while their basal proliferation rate was undiminished, and the majority of the cells were found to be dividing. When such low H-2 early thymocytes were injected together with three different tumors into syngeneic mice their tumor-enhancing activity was evident. It is clear that such early thymocytes are not devoid of biologic reactivity and their release from the thymus could have decisive results.     

Are any functionally mature cells of medullary phenotype located in the thymus cortex?

Experiments were undertaken to test if thymocytes of "mature" or "medullary" phenotype were restricted to the medullary area of the thymus. A calculation based on direct cell counts on serial sections indicated that 11.5% of adult male CBA thymic lymphoid cells were within the medullary zone. Since only 3-4% of thymocytes were cortisone resistant, the majority of thymocytes within the medulla were, like cortical thymocytes, cortisone sensitive. A series of cell surface antigenic markers, used alone or in pairs, suggested that 13-15% of thymocytes were of medullary phenotype, somewhat more than the number of thymocytes actually present in the medulla. However, much of this discrepancy could be explained by differential death of cortical cells during isolation and staining, and by the existence in the cortex of a subpopulation of early blast cells which shared some, but not all markers with medullary thymocytes. A direct test for mature or medullary phenotype cells in the cortex involved selective transcapsular labeling of outer-cortical cells with fluorescent dyes, followed by multiparameter immunofluorescent analysis of the 10% labeled population. Outer-cortical thymocytes included some cells (mainly early blasts) sharing some markers with medullary thymocytes, but very few (less than 1%) of these cells expressed all the characteristic "mature" markers. Limit-dilution precursor frequency studies showed the level of functional cells in the outer cortex was extremely low. The overall conclusion was that the vast majority of cells of complete "mature" phenotype are confined to the thymic medulla. These findings favor the view that thymus migrants originate from the thymic medulla, but do not exclude a cortical origin. The results also illustrate the need for multiparameter analysis to distinguish medullary thymocytes from early blast cells.