MECHANISMS OF B CELL TOLERANCE .1. TOLERANCE TO DEXTRAN B1355 INDUCED WITH OXIDIZED DEXTRAN

  • 1 January 1977
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 118  (4) , 1265-1270
Abstract
The bacterial [Leuconostoc mesenteroides] dextran B1355, which is normally a potent thymus-independent immunogen, was made tolerogenic by oxidation. The injection of the oxidized dextran into BALB/c mice before, at the same time, or up to 4 days after the injection of the immunogenic form of the dextran resulted in a marked immunologically specific suppression of the number of anti-dextran antibody-forming cells found in the spleen. This suppression resulted from a direct inactivation of antibody-forming cell precursors rather than from inhibition of antibody secretion or the exhaustive utilization of precursor B [bone marrow-derived] cells that were previously observed in other tolerance systems. A substantial degree of tolerance was achieved after only a 1 h in vivo exposure of the spleen cells to the tolerogen. At a dose of 1 mg of oxidized dextran per mouse, tolerance persisted for at least 3 wk. A complete recovery was apparent by 10 wk. The stability of the tolerance was demonstrated by transferring tolerant spleen cells to irradiated recipients. The response in the recipient animals to an immunogenic dextran challenge remained suppressed. The tolerogenicity of the oxidized dextran is probably due to its ability to couple covalently with free amino groups in or near the receptor site of the cell membrane via the reactive dialdehyde groups of the dextran.

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