title: High concentrations of oxygen modulate in vitro Con A responses of rat lymphoid cells. Effect of 2-mercaptoethanol.
abstract: The effects of different normobaric oxygen concentrations (40, 60 and 95%) on the survival and the proliferative response to Con A of rat lymphoid cells were studied. Spleen, thymus and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were tested. We found that oxygen concentrations modulated the proliferative response independently of cell survival. The addition of 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) partially prevented the toxic effects of hyperoxia but the population of thymocytes which responded to Con A stimulation appeared to be less sensitive to the protective action of 2-ME. The relationship between oxygen concentrations and the lymphoid proliferative response could be used as a model of oxidant immunodepression for evaluating pharmacological effects of antioxidant compounds.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008623:Mercaptoethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010313:Partial Pressure; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D003208:Concanavalin A; D008623:Mercaptoethanol; D010100:Oxygen