SUPPRESSOR T-CELLS WHICH BLOCK INDUCTION OF CYTOTOXIC T-CELLS INVIVO

Abstract

Mice pretreated with cyclophosphamide have an increased ability to produce anti-trinitro-phenyl [TNP] cytotoxic T [thymus-derived] cells after painting with the contact sensitizing agent picryl chloride. This could be abrogated by injecting normal cells or cells from mice exposed to TNP derivatives at the time of painting. If the injection of cells was delayed until 1 day after painting, specificity was demonstrated. Normal cells and cells from mice injected with dinitrobenzene sufonate were ineffective whereas cells from donors injected with picryl sulfonic acid were inhibitory. Inhibitory cells were also shown in mice painted with picryl chloride, particularly after adult thymectomy. Cells from picryl chloride but not oxazolone painted mice were inhibitory when injected 1 day after painting the recipients. The suppressor cells from the mice injected with picryl sulfonic acid and from the mice painted with picryl chloride were cyclophosphamide sensitive T cells and were not affected by adult thymectomy. These properties helped to classify the suppressor cells induced by TNP derivatives.