Alloantigen-specific suppressor T cells are not inhibited by cyclosporin A, but do require IL 2 for activation.
Alloantigen-specific suppressor T cells are activated from normal murine spleen cells in mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR). These T cells are radioresistant and suppress the activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) in second primary MLR cultures. This report demonstrates that cyclosporin A (CsA) blocks the activation of these suppressor cells at a dose of 1 microgram/ml. However, reconstitution of CsA blocked cultures with IL 2 restores the activation of the suppressor T cells, but fails to significantly restore the activation of CTL in these same cultures. This differential activation requirement was used to establish T cell lines that demonstrate enriched suppressor cell activity but depletion of CTL activity. These findings are discussed in terms of the mechanism of action of CsA in these distinct T cell subsets and the relevance to models of allograft unresponsiveness.
D000818:Animals; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000276:immunology; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D064532:Histocompatibility Antigen H-2D; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000528:radiation effects
D003524:Cyclosporins; D000939:Epitopes; D006183:H-2 Antigens; D064532:Histocompatibility Antigen H-2D; D007376:Interleukin-2