title: Effects of cyclosporine A on thymocyte differentiation in fetal thymus organ culture.
abstract: During the course of differentiation in the thymus, precursor T cells are negatively selected by a self-tolerance mechanism or positively selected to acquire restriction specificity to self major histocompatibility complexes. We investigated the process of T cell differentiation and those selections using a fetal thymus organ culture with or without cyclosporine A. The agent blocked the maturation step from CD4+8+ double positive cells to mature CD4-8+ or CD4+8- single positive cells. On the other hand, the agent did not inhibit the development of CD3+4-8- T cell receptor (TCR)alpha beta- cells, which were supposed to be T cells bearing gamma delta-TCR chains. These results suggest that the development of thymocytes bearing alpha beta- or gamma delta-TCR chains differ in requirement for thymocyte-stromal cell interaction.
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiation Health, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba-shi, Japan.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsuhashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawase
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000166:cytology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D003524:Cyclosporins; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell