Cellular requirements for thyrotropin enhancement of in vitro antibody production.
We reported previously that thyrotropin (TSH) enhanced the in vitro antibody response to a T cell-dependent antigen, sheep red blood cells (SRBC), as determined by direct plaque-forming cell (PFC) assay. The present studies were designed to determine the possible immunoregulatory function of TSH on lymphocytes immunized with the T-independent antigen Brucella abortus-TNP (BA-TNP) and the cellular components involved in such function. We report here that TSH enhanced the in vitro antibody response to BA-TNP as determined by direct PFC assays. Cell depletion studies showed that the TSH effect, although independent of macrophages, required the presence of T cells. Thus, pituitary--and possibly leukocyte--TSH appears to function as a lymphokine which may act via T cells to augment antibody production.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002003:Brucella abortus / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology
D014301:Trinitrobenzenes; D013972:Thyrotropin