title: Enhancement of cellular immune function during cold adaptation of BALB/c inbred mice.
abstract: The cell-mediated immune function of cold-adapted BALB/c inbred mice was studied in experiments of splenic lymphocyte blastogenesis, indicated by tritium-labeled deoxythymidine incorporation and SDS-PAGE autoradiography of synthetic proteins in lymphocytes. Male BALB/c inbred mice were randomly divided into two groups: control (living at 25 degrees C) and cold-exposed (living at 2 degrees C). Results are as follows: in contrast with the control group, there was an obvious fluctuation of cell-mediated immune function in the cold-exposed group at initial cold exposure because of transient stress to cold; then cell-mediated immune function gradually recovered to control level. From Day 15, the cell-mediated immune function of the cold-exposed group was remarkably enhanced. On Day 15, the lymphocyte blastogenesis rate was increased by 20.66% (P less than 0.05), which implies the onset of cold adaptation; on Days 21 and 31, the rates increased by 80.15% (P less than 0.05) and 40.36% (P less than 0.05), respectively. Two to six months later, with continuing cold exposure, the murine lymphocyte blastogenesis rate in the cold-exposed group remained higher than that in the control group. The lymphocyte protein synthesis of the cold-exposed group, indicated by tritium-labeled leucine incorporation, apparently increased on Day 15 and the stimulated rate was 101.47% (P less than 0.05). SDS-PAGE autoradiography of synthetic proteins in lymphocytes demonstrated that after 2 weeks of cold exposure, protein bands were enriched in both quantity and quality. These results are identical to the results obtained from lymphocyte blastogenesis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Su
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D003080:Cold Temperature; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007930:Leucine / Q000378:metabolism; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007930:Leucine; D013936:Thymidine