title: The effect of age, sex and breeding on graft versus host reactivity of spleen cells from C57BL mice.
abstract: Spleen cell graft versus host (GvH) reactivity was determined in male and female, either virgin or breeder, C57BL mice from 3 to 24 months of age. The GvH reaction was assessed by a local popliteal lymph node assay and by a splenomegaly test for a systemic reaction. Although the GvH reactivity declines progressively with age in both sexes the virgin female response was greater than that of males throughout the period of 6-18 months of age. Two-year-old mice of both sexes were practically unable to mount a GvH reaction. No differences were evident in aging female reactivity after one or two syngeneic pregnancies. On the other hand, 3 or more consecutive pregnancies resulted in enhanced GvH reactivity of 12-24-month-old females, which responded comparably to young virgin mice. This long-lasting immunopotentiating effect of multiparity was similar after 3-4 and 8-9 pregnancies. The possible role of developing foetuses on the maintenance of high GvH reactivity in breeder females is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skowron-Cendrzak
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Jakóbczak
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kubera
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006087:Graft vs Host Reaction / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010298:Parity; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation*