The effects of age on the immune response to type III pneumococcal polysaccharide (SIII) and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in BALB/c, SJL/J, and C3H mice.
Type III pneumococcal polysaccharide (SIII) and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to evaluate B cell and T cell regulatory functions in BALB/c, SJL/J, and C3H mice of various ages. It was found that the BALB/c and C3H mice could mount high level plaque-forming cell (PFC) responses to SIII at various ages through 110 weeks whereas the levels of the SJL/J PFC responses had begun to decline by the age of 42 weeks through the age of 80 weeks. BALB/c mice were also capable of producing strong PFC responses to LPS at various ages through 110 weeks whereas the comparable SJL/J PFC responses to LPS had declined by 80 weeks of age. By using anti-lymphocyte serum (ALS) and low-dose paralysis to SIII, it was shown that suppressor T cell activity was apparently greater in young BALB/c mice than in older BALB/c mice. It was also found that paralysis to SIII in BALB/c mice was easier to achieve at an early age. SJL/J mice were found to have the necessary B cell activity to respond to SIII through 80 weeks of age and the PFC responses could be greatly enhanced by ALS. Implications of the roles of regulatory T cells in aging are discussed.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000032:analysis; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*
D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial