REGULATION OF HEMATOPOIESIS - HELPER AND SUPPRESSOR INFLUENCES OF THE THYMUS

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 55  (3) , 524-527
Abstract
Thymocytes from normal mice strains and from genetically determined stem cell defective W/Wv anemic mice were cocultured with syngeneic (or congeneic) bone marrow cells. These cocultures were assayed for the proliferation of erythroid progenitor cell types (BFU-E and CFU-E) using the plasma clot technique. When concentrations of thymocytes were lower than bone marrow cells, significant suppression of erythroid growth was observed. When the concentration of thymocytes exceeded that of the bone marrow cells in culture (> 1:1), significant enhancement of erythroid growth was demonstrated. The W/Wv anemic bone marrow appears to respond to this interaction by enhancement at all concentrations of added normal thymocytes. The regulatory functions observed can be diminished by treatment of the thymocytes in vitro with anti-.theta. serum plus complement. Regulatory functions were established for anti-.theta.-sensitive regulatory cells (TSRC) with positive (enhancement) and negative (suppression) components.