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Comparative Analyses of Thymocyte and Thymic Low‐Density Adherent Cell Functions
Author(s) -
Wambua Peter P.,
Iwabuchi Kazuya,
Iwabuchi Chikako,
Ogasawara Kazumasa,
Itoh Yasushi,
Arase Hisashi,
Kajiwara Masaharu,
Gotohda Toshihiko,
Kajino Kiichi,
Good Robert A.,
Onoé Kazunori
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
microbiology and immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.664
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1348-0421
pISSN - 0385-5600
DOI - 10.1111/j.1348-0421.1994.tb02141.x
Subject(s) - thymocyte , chimera (genetics) , biology , cd3 , t cell , immunology , population , transplantation , endocrinology , stimulation , bone marrow , stromal cell , medicine , antigen , immune system , microbiology and biotechnology , cd8 , cancer research , biochemistry , environmental health , gene
Thymocytes which have developed in the C3H thymus showed depressed proliferative responses to stimulation with anti‐CD3 antibody as compared with those which have developed in the thymus of other strains of mice (i.e. AKR). The present study was conducted to analyze immunological functions of the thymic stromal cell population (low‐density adherent cells, LDAC) in the C3H mice using allogeneic bone marrow (BM) chimeras established by BM transplantation in the reciprocal combination of AKR and C3H mice as donor or recipient. The thymic LDAC from C3H mice or the [AKR(donor)→C3H(recipient)] chimeras contained a high proportion of Mac‐1 + cells as compared to AKR mice or the [C3H→AKR] chimeras. The proportion of Mac‐1 + cells paralleled the IL‐1‐ and PGE 2 ‐secreting ability of the LDAC cultured either in the presence or absence of LPS and also paralleled the antigen‐presenting cell functions of the LDAC. Furthermore, after anti‐CD3 stimulation the PGE 2 inhibited more profoundly proliferative responses of [AKR→C3H] or normal C3H thymocytes than those of the [C3H→AKR] chimera or normal AKR thymocytes. A PGE 2 inhibitor, indomethacin, reversed the depressed responses of the thymocytes which had developed in the C3H thymus. These findings suggest that the lower responsiveness of thymocytes from [AKR→C3H] chimeras to anti‐CD3 stimulation may be attributable to large amounts of PGE 2 secreted by LDAC and/or to increased sensitivity of thymocytes themselves to PGE 2 .