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Lymphocyte Classes in New Zealand Mice

I. Ontogeny and Mitogen Responsiveness of Thymocytes and Thymus-Derived Lymphocytes

From the Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20014, and Division of Clinical Immunology and Arthritis, Veterans' Administration Hospital and the University of California, San Francisco, California 94121

Abstract

The frequency of thymocytes bearing the "T" cell differentiation antigen theta () as well as the mean density of determinants per thymocyte are similar in newborn through 6-week-old NZB and BALB/c mice. Although the capacity of these thymocytes to respond to the mitogen concanavalin A is acquired at a somewhat earlier age in NZB animals, the absolute responsiveness of 3-week-to 1-year-old NZB thymocytes is less than noted for comparably aged BALB/c mice.

Similarly, both the age dependent appearance of positive splenic lymphocytes as well as the absolute frequency of these cells are similar in newborn through 6-week-old animals of both strains. Spleen cells from 1-year-old NZB mice, however, demonstrate a decreased frequency of these cells when compared to BALB/c animals of similar age. The appearance of phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A reactivity among spleen cells parallels the appearance of positive cells, and is similar in both strains.

Thus, no gross abnormalities in the development of either surface "T" markers or in the responsiveness to mitogens which activate "T" cells can be found in newborn through 6-week-old NZB mice. Nonetheless, a defect in either an antigen dependent function of "T" cells or in a "T" cell subset cannot be excluded.

Footnotes

¹ Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20014.

² Division of Clinical Immunology and Arthritis, Veterans' Administration Hospital and the University of California, San Francisco, California 94121.