Mitogenic activity of soluble preparations from Plasmodium berghei-infected erythrocytes to L3T4+, Lyt2- and L3T4-, Lyt2+ T-cell subsets.
The mitogenic activity of soluble preparations of Plasmodium berghei-infected erythrocytes (PBEP) in cultures of T or non-T cells isolated from spleens of naive mice was investigated. The proportion of cells at each phase in the cell cycle was examined by flow cytometry after incubation with various concentrations of PBEP; the proliferation index (PI-cell numbers at S, G2 and M phases/cell numbers at all phases x 100) was calculated. An addition of PBEP led to significant increases in the PI levels of T cells, but not in those of non-T cells. Moreover, when PBEP were added to L3T4+, Lyt2- (helper) or L3T4-, Lyt2+ (suppressor) T-cell fractions separated from rosette-forming T cells in spleens, significant increases in PI levels were detectable in both helper and suppressor T-cell cultures. These results indicate that PBEP have a mitogenic activity directed to both helper and suppressor T-cell fractions isolated from spleens of naive mice and that PBEP or Plasmodium parasites may in this way induce complicated immune responses during malaria infection.
Azuma
M
M
Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Agriculture, University of Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
Ikeda
M
M
Noda
K
K
Yoshimura
S
S
Matsuda
H
H
D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008934:Mitogens; D010962:Plasmodium berghei / Q000276:immunology*; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
D008934:Mitogens