ACTIVATED MACROPHAGES PRE-INCUBATED INVITRO ENHANCE RATHER THAN SUPPRESS MITOGEN-STIMULATED LYMPHOCYTE-TRANSFORMATION

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 40  (2) , 239-246
Abstract
In mice, activated peritoneal macrophages, when first removed from the peritoneal macrophages, suppress mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte transformation in vitro as measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation. Activated macrophages incubated alone in vitro (preincubated) for longer than 8-12 h lost the capacity to suppress and in fact markedly enhanced mitogen-stimulated lymphocyte transformation. This enhancement of lymphocyte transformation by activated macrophages occurred over a wide range of macrophage concentrations and required viable macrophages. Supernatants collected from preincubated activated macrophages did not enhance lymphocyte transformation. Preincubated activated macrophages did not lose the capacity to inhibit multiplication of intracellular Toxoplasma gondii. One, but not necessarily all, functional capacities of activated macrophages, is markedly altered by in vitro incubation.