Immunological senescence. II. Normal in vitro colony formation by B cells from old mice.
The in vitro frequency and proliferative capacity of B cells and B-cell precursors in old mice was assessed. The mitogenic response to the B-cell mitogens lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and dextran sulphate decline later and at a slower rate than the T-cell response to phytohaemagglutinin and concanavalin A. The response to precursor B-cell mitogen dextran sulphate was not depressed in the bone marrow of aging mice. In addition, the dose response and kinetics of LPS and mercaptoethanol stimulated B-cell colony formation in agar was identical in spleen cells from young and old mice. These results indicate that the intrinsic proliferative capacity of B cells from old mice is normal.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002999:Clone Cells; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D008938:Mitosis / Q000187:drug effects; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
D008934:Mitogens