title: Study on the effect of calf thymic peptides preparation (TP) on human B lymphocytes.
abstract: Extensive experimental evidence has shown that thymic hormones (or factors) affect and regulate the differentiation and function of T lymphocytes. However, little is known about the action, if any, of thymic hormones on B lymphocytes. This paper reports the results of an investigation of the effect of a calf thymic peptide preparation (TP) prepared in our laboratory, on the proliferation and differentiation of human B lymphocytes. TP at concentrations higher than 1 micrograms (protein)/ml inhibited the proliferative responses of human B lymphocytes to the stimulation by Staphylococcus aureus Cowen strain I (SAC) and F(ab')2 fragments of goat anti-human IgM, mu chain specific antibody (anti-mu). TP itself had neither toxic nor mitogenic effect on B cells. TP at concentrations of 60 and 100 micrograms/ml did not affect the differentiation of B cells driven by SAC and PWM in a reverse PFC assay, but appeared to suppress the production in some individuals of total IgG and IgM in culture supernatants in a PWM system. Preculture of B cells with 60 micrograms/ml of TP for 40 hrs showed a suppression of the proliferative response to SAC and anti-mu stimulation, suggesting that TP might act on cells directly and persistently for some time. When TP was added to the culture on day 0 or on day 1, a similar decrease of inhibition of B cell proliferation was observed. A decrease in monocytes from 15-17% to 5% did not appreciably influence the suppression of SAC- or anti-mu-induced proliferation of B cells by TP. These preliminary results suggest that a calf thymic peptides preparation might have some direct effect on B lymphocytes.
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: S Z
authors.initials: SZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D002417:Cattle; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D013951:Thymus Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D010455:Peptides; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D013951:Thymus Hormones