title: Macrophage requirement for the in vitro response to TNP Ficoll: a thymic independent antigen.
abstract: The in vitro antibody-forming cell response of mouse spleen cells to the thymic independent synthetic polymer, TNP-Ficoll, was found to require the presence of either macrophages or 2-mercaptoethanol. The TNP-Ficoll response and that to the thymic dependent antigen, sheep erythrocytes, demonstrated the same degree of macrophage dependence. However, macrophage-depleted spleen cells which did not produce plaque-forming cells responded normally to T and B cell mitogens. Comparison of the antibody-forming cell response of macrophage-depleted spleen cells in the presence and absence of 2-mercaptoethanol indicated that either macrophages function 10 to 100 times more efficiently in its presence or that 2-mercaptoethanol partially replaces the function of macrophages.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005362:Ficoll / Q000276:immunology*; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D008623:Mercaptoethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009578:Nitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000276:immunology*; D012756:Sheep; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D009578:Nitrobenzenes; D011134:Polysaccharides; D005362:Ficoll; D008623:Mercaptoethanol