Independent analysis of T helper and T killer cell function in young and old NZB mice.
With age, NZB mice lose their ability to develop a cytotoxic response after alloimmunization in vitro. This decline is shown to coincide with a diminution of T-helper cell activity as assessed by proliferation in mixed lymphocyte culture or in response to PHA. When cytotoxic T cell precursors are activated with the polyclonal activator Con A, there is no reduction in the number of cytotoxic effector T cells that develop. No autoreactive cytotoxic cells are seen in Con A-activated cultures. These findings are related to previous work on cell-mediated immunity in NZB and B/W mice.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D000939:Epitopes; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008814:Mice, Inbred NZB; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000939:Epitopes; D003208:Concanavalin A