title: The arrest of T cell maturation in spontaneously hypertensive rats with a deficient production of thymic factors.
abstract: Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) which regularly develop hypertension and periarteritis nodosa showed a progressive loss of T cell numbers and functions early in life. When six months old and compared with W rats, the original strain of SHR, they were found to possess a reduced number of thymocytes that formed rosettes with guinea pig erythrocytes and that reacted to anti-Thy1. 1 and anti-T (W3/13) sera. The number of spleen and lymph node cells which reacted to anti-T (W3/13) and anti-helper T (W3/25) sera also decreased. The antibody response of 3-month-old SHR spleen cells to SRBC was about one-fifth that of Wistar rats and progressively declined with age. Subcutaneous grafting of 3-month-old SHR thymus tissues failed to promote differentiation and functions of T cells in the spleen of nude mice, whereas 3-month-old W thymus tissues showed significant recovery of T cell generation and functions. The T cell functions of old SHR was completely restored by grafting adult W thymus tissues but was not restored by grafting adult SHR thymus tissues. Similar recovery was also obtained by the injection of thymus extracts from W thymus tissues. These results suggest that thymic epithelial cell products regulating T cell maturation may decrease in SHR with increasing age.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takeichi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ba
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D006973:Hypertension / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR / Q000276:immunology*; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains / Q000276:immunology*; D012397:Rosette Formation; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013951:Thymus Hormones / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D013951:Thymus Hormones