Modification of Runt Disease by Treatment of the Donor with Lyophilized Tissues

Abstract

The effect of pretreatment of C57BL mice with lyophilized tissues of RIII or Swiss mice on the capacity of their spleen cells to induce runt disease in newborn recipients of these strains was studied. Pretreatment with a transplantable RIII tumor (MMCIA) did not affect the induction of runt disease in RIII mice by large doses of C57BL spleen cells, but increased the incidence of the disease induced by small doses of cells. The mean survival time of mice injected with small doses of cells from either normal or pretreated C57BL donors was longer than that of mice receiving large doses of cells. Spleen cells from pretreated donors had a lower capacity than cells from normal donors to induce runt disease in 2- to 3-day-old RIII recipients. Pretreatment of C57BL donors with Swiss mouse tissues specifically decreased their capacity to induce runt disease in newborn Swiss mice. Surviving Swiss mice did not tolerate C57BL skin grafts and no C57BL antigens could be demonstrated in their spleens.