Long-lived lymphocytes include lipopolysaccharide-reactive B cells.
We have used a new protocol of prolonged in vivo hydroxyurea (HU) administration which eliminates all cycling and short-lived cells. This treatment kills 99% of non-B non-T bone marrow cells, and it leaves in spleen and bone marrow "long-lived" B- and T-cell populations which represent 33 and 59%, respectively, of the total numbers of lymphocytes found in untreated controls. The relative proportions of B and T cells in spleen or blood of HU-treated mice were practically unaffected, while an increased blood-to-marrow permeability results in markedly abnormal proportions of B and T lymphocytes in bone marrow. Mitogen reactivities of these long-lived lymphocytes recovered either in spleen or bone marrow of HU-treated animals were studied. The results show that such B cells respond perfectly well to the B-cell mitogen lipopolysaccharide, by proliferation and differentiation into Ig-secreting cells, and that T cells proliferate at nearly control levels in response to concanavalin A. This protocol of long-term HU treatment offers the possibility of studying selected long-lived lymphocyte populations, the clonal repertoires and functional properties of which can now be readily approached.
D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000502:physiology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002470:Cell Survival; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D006918:Hydroxyurea / Q000494:pharmacology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell / Q000032:analysis; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011947:Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell; D018800:Thy-1 Antigens; D003208:Concanavalin A; D006918:Hydroxyurea