Immune competency of nude mice bred from homozygous and heterozygous mothers.
The immune competency of nude mice born from matings of strictly homozygous nu/nu X nu/nu parents was compared to nude mice derived from the breeding of either heterozygous nu/+ mothers by nu/nu fathers or nu/nu mothers by nu/+ fathers. Spleen cells from nude mice born from heterozygous mothers had significantly higher levels of beta-bearing cells than mice born from homozygous mothers and were minimally stimulated by the T cell mitogens Con A and PHA-P. In contrast, there were no detectable maternal influences when survival of skin allografts and primary sheep red cell stimulation were studied. Homing studies of 51Cr thymocytes in term-pregnant nude mice suggest that the enhanced T cell characteristics of nude mice born of nu/+ mothers are caused in part by placental transfer of allogeneic maternal lymphocytes.
D000818:Animals; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000494:pharmacology; D002465:Cell Movement; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D037102:Lectins / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D011817:Rabbits; D016038:Skin Transplantation; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D037102:Lectins; D003208:Concanavalin A