Reduction of fatal graft-versus-host disease by 3H-thymidine suicide of donor cells cultured with host cells.
The effect of the tritiated thymidine (3H-TdR) suicide technique on the ability of donor cells to induce fatal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was studied. C57BL/6 (H-2b) spleen cells were stimulated in vitro with irradiated BALB/c (H-2d) Moloney lymphoma cells in mixed culture and 3H-TdR of high-specific activity added to eliminate proliferating cells. The ability of such cells to induce fatal GVHD was assayed by injecting them i.v. into adult BALB/c mice immunosuppressed with cyclophosphamide (180 mg/kg). These cells induced fatal GVHD in fewer mice (52 per cent) than did C57BL/6 cells cultures with BALB/C lymphoma cells but without 3H-TdR (87%) and C57BL/L cells cultured with irradiated C57BL/6 cells with (95 per cent) or without 3H-TdR (86 per cent). Thus, the 3H-TdR suicide technique greatly diminished the ability of cells to induce lethal GVHD.
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000528:radiation effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D006087:Graft vs Host Reaction / Q000528:radiation effects*; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000637:transplantation; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014316:Tritium
D014316:Tritium; D013936:Thymidine