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IMMUNOLOGICAL SUPPRESSION OF PARASITE REJECTION BY REMOVAL OF SELECTED LYMPHOCYTE POPULATIONS: THE EFFECT OF NEONATAL THYMECTOMY AND ANTI‐THYMOCYTE SERUM ADMINISTRATION ON THE RESISTANCE OF RATS TO INFECTION WITH THE NEMATODE, NIPPOSTRONGYLUS BRASILIENSIS
Author(s) -
Kelly JD
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
australian journal of experimental biology and medical science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.999
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1440-1711
pISSN - 0004-945X
DOI - 10.1038/icb.1972.40
Subject(s) - thymocyte , thymectomy , biology , parasite hosting , lymphocyte , antibody , immunology , immune system , t lymphocyte , antigen , endocrinology , medicine , t cell , myasthenia gravis , world wide web , computer science
Summary Neonatally thymectomised rats, infected with N. brasiliensis , showed significant increases in worm‐egg production and parasite survival when compared with sham‐thymectomised controls, particularly during the later stages of infection. Treatment of infected rats with rabbit anti‐rat thymocyte serum resulted in a highly significant suppression of parasite rejection. The production of reagin‐like antibody, directed at antigens of N. brasiliensis , was substantially inhibited in both neonatally thymectomised and anti‐rat thymocyte serum treated rats. Neonatal thymectomy combined with anti‐rat thymocyte serum treatment, produced a much greater loss of resistance (as judged by worm‐egg production and parasite survival) than either neonatal thymectomy or anti‐rat thymocyte serum alone. Furthermore, reagin‐like antibody production was not detected at any stage during primary infection in neonatally thymectomised, anti‐rat thymocyte serum treated rats. It is suggested that the lymphocytes involved in the lymphocyte‐mediated component of resistance of rats to N. brasiliensis infection are (a) long‐lived and (b) derived from and continually produced by the thymus, or are produced elsewhere and the presence of the thymus is essential for their functional development.