REAGINIC ANTIBODY-FORMATION IN MOUSE .9. ENHANCEMENT OF SUPPRESSOR AND HELPER CELL ACTIVITIES OF PRIMED SPLEEN-CELLS

Abstract

Attempts were made to increase the activity of suppressor cells in vitro. Antigen-specific suppressor cells were induced by i.v. injections of urea-denatured ovalbumin (UD-OA) into OA-primed mice. Nonadherent splenic lymphocytes from the UD-OA-treated mice were incubated at 37.degree. C for 24 h with OA or OA-bearing macrophages, and lymphocytes harvested from the culture were examined for the ability to suppress primary anti-hapten antibody response of nonirradiated mice to DNP-OA. The suppressive activity of the lymphocytes increased after culture of the cells with OA or OA-bearing macrophages. Similar results were obtained when a nylon column-purified T [thymus-derived] cell-rich fraction of the lymphocytes was similarly cultured. The suppressive activity was associated with .theta.-bearing lymphocytes and was specific for OA. Suppressor cells were not induced by the culture of OA-primed lymphocytes with OA. The helper function of splenic lymphocytes from UD-OA-treated mice and OA-primed mice was enhanced by the culture of the cells with OA-bearing macrophages but not by culture with OA in the absence of macrophages.