Involvement of the spleen in the control of the immunogenic and phagocytic function of thioglycollate‐induced macrophages

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Abstract
The immunogenic capacity of thioglycollate-induced peritoneal macrophages of adult splenectomized animals was compared to that of macrophages of sham-operated controls. Macrophages from splenectomized animals were found to be impaired in their function as antigen-presenting cells, both in the education of virgin initiator T lymphocytes and in the stimulation of antigen-specific T memory cells. Macrophages from splenectomized animals were also severely impaired in their phagocytic capacity, as assessed in an opsonin-dependent bacterial phagocytosis assay. However, they were not impaired in their ability to pynocytose soluble keyhole limpet hemocyanin. These results indicate that the spleen may play a dicisive role in controlling the differentiation of peritoneal macrophages.