title: Cyclosporine A prevents the generation of single positive mature T cells in newborn mice.
abstract: The effect of Cyclosporin A (CsA) during T cell development was investigated in newborn mice. CsA treatment completely blocked the generation of peripheral single positive (SP) mature T cells: the lymphatic tissues were hypoplastic. However, double negative (DN) T3 expressing lymphocytes were still detectable. Thymuses from CsA-treated mice lacked the SP L3T4(CD4)+ subset, DN and double positive (DP) thymocytes were still present. We further defined a SP Lyt2(CD8)+ thymic subpopulation which lacked CD3 expression and displayed no functional activity in vitro. Thus, CsA critically interferes with the maturation of SP T lymphocytes; we found no evidence for 'leaky' autoreactive peripheral SP T cells in CsA-treated newborn mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ulm, FRG.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Heeg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bendigs
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Häcker
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wagner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology*; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011247:Pregnancy; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003524:Cyclosporins