Cyclosporine A Prevents the Generation of Single Positive (Lyt2+ L3T4−, Lyt2− L3T4+) Mature T Cells, but not Single Positive (Lyt2+ T3−) Immature Thymocytes, in Newborn Mice

Abstract

The influence of cyclosporine A (CsA) on T-cell maturation was investigated in newborn mice. CsA treatment during the pre- and postnatal periods resulted in a hypoplasia of peripheral lymphatic organs, and absence of mature T3+ T cells in lymph nodes and spleens; no functional T-cell reactivity was observed. In thymuses of CsA-treated mice, no T3+ single positive Lyt2+ or T3+L3T4+ thymocytes could be found, but double positive (DP) cells were readily detected. A thymocyte subset with the phenotype Lyt2+L3T4-T3- was still discernible; this population was non-functional in vitro. The data show that the maturation of single positive (SP) T cells is critically influenced by CsA; under the conditions used here we found no evidence that ''leaky'' autoreactive SP T cells develop in CsA-treated newborn mice.