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Cellular Mechanism of Endotoxin Unresponsiveness in C3H/HeJ Mice

From the Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20014 and The Department of Clinical and Experimental Immunology, Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20014

Abstract

B cells from C3H/HeJ mice fail to respond to an endotoxin (LPS K235) which is mitogenic for normal mice including the closely related C3H/HeN strain. The cellular basis for this unresponsive state has been investigated. The C3H/HeJ mice have normal numbers of B cells, which are capable of normal responses to other B cell mitogens, such as polyinosinic acid (Poly I). Addition of normal macrophages or spleen cells fails to reconstitute the normal response. Furthermore, neither macrophages nor spleen cells from the C3H/HeJ strain suppress the normal C3H/HeN spleen cells. Finally, spleen cells enriched for B cells by the removal of macrophages or T cells demonstrate the same differences in responsiveness to LPS. These results indicate that LPS unresponsiveness is a defect of the B cell itself and not due to suppressor cells or the absence of helper cells.

When LPS is added to Poly I-stimulated cultures, there is additional enhancement of the response of normal C3H/HeN spleen cells. However, LPS causes a dose-dependent suppression of the Poly I response of C3H/HeJ spleen cells. This suppression is dependent on the time of addition of LPS to the Poly I-stimulated cultures. These data are interpreted as indicating that the binding of LPS to the membrane of C3H/HeJ B cells results in their inactivation or suppression, and that this is the basis of LPS unresponsiveness in this mouse strain.