title: Thymosin, interleukins, isoprinosine and imuthiol do not reconstitute T-cells in athymic nude mice.
abstract: Previous reports suggest that immunotherapy can induce T-cell development in athymic nude mice. Eight-week-old BALB/c nu/nu (athymic nude) mice were treated for 3, 6 and 12 weeks with thymosin fraction 5 (TF-5), buffy coat interleukins (BC-IL), recombinant IL-2 (rIL-2), a combination of TF-5 and BC-IL, isoprinosine or imuthiol. Control animals were treated with sterile saline or were given a syngeneic thymus graft. Spleen weight, cell yields and Thy 1.2+ T-cell markers were monitored and spleen cell proliferative responses to rIL-2, concanavalin A (Con A), Con A + rIL-2, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and endotoxin (LPS) were assessed. Only mice transplanted with a syngeneic thymus showed progressive increases in both T-cell number and function. Minor changes in proliferative responses were noted at 3 weeks with all treatments; however, no biologically significant reconstitution of T-cell number or function was observed.
authors: Program of Immunopharmacology, University of South Florida Medical College, Tampa 33612.
authors: J W
authors: JW
authors: Hadden
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Caspritz
authors: Q Y
authors: QY
authors: Zheng
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Chen
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Wolstencroft
authors: E M
authors: EM
authors: Hadden
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004050:Ditiocarb / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007267:Injections; D007288:Inosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D007542:Inosine Pranobex / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007378:Interleukins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D013947:Thymosin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins; D007288:Inosine; D013947:Thymosin; D004050:Ditiocarb; D007542:Inosine Pranobex