Spleen cells from adult mice given total lymphoid irradiation or from newborn mice have similar regulatory effects in the mixed leukocyte reaction. I. Generation of antigen-specific suppressor cells in the mixed leukocyte reaction after the addition of spleen cells from adult mice given total lymphoid irradiation.

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We added spleen cells from adult BALB/c mice treated with total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) to the mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR) using a variety of responder and stimulator cells. The spleen cells nonspecifically suppressed the uptake of [3H]-thymidine and the generation of cytolytic cells regardless of the responder-stimulator combination used. We also examined the effect of the spleen cells on the generation of antigen-nonspecific and antigen-specific suppressor cells in the MLR. The experimental results suggest that the spleen cells from TLI-treated mice inhibit the generation of nonspecific suppressor cells, but do not inhibit the generation of antigen-specific suppressor cells. Thus, alloantigenic stimulation of normal responder cells in vitro in the presence of spleen cells from TLI-treated mice generates large numbers of antigen-specific suppressor cells, but few cytolytic cells or nonspecific suppressor cells. Similar nonspecific inhibition of the MLR was observed with neonatal spleen cells. This in vitro system provides a regulatory model for the induction and maintenance of tolerance in vivo, in which adult mice given TLI or neonatal mice accept allogeneic bone marrow transplants without graft-vs.-host disease.