title: Analysis of low natural killer cell activity in 89Sr-treated mice.
abstract: Treatment of mice with the long-lived bone-seeking radioisotope 89Sr results in the selective irradiation and destruction of the bone marrow. This is accompanied by a marked reduction in natural killer cell activity against YAC-1 lymphoma [NK(YAC-1)]. To test for the presence of cellular suppressors of NK(YAC-1) in 89Sr-treated mice, in vitro and in vivo cell mixture protocols were used. In vitro, we did not observe any specific inhibitory effect of spleen cells from 89Sr-treated mice on NK(YAC-1) activity of normal spleen cells. The NK(YAC-1) activity of 89Sr-treated mice, measured in vivo by their ability to clear radiolabeled YAC-1 cells from the lungs, was impaired. However, spleen cells from 89Sr-treated mice, when adoptively transferred with normal spleen cells, failed to inhibit the NK(YAC-1) activity of the latter in the lung clearance assay. Further, when normal spleen cells were injected into 89Sr-treated mice, the ability of the transferred cells to mediate in vivo activity was not suppressed in the 89Sr-treated host. These experiments support the suggestion that the low NK(YAC-1) activity in 89Sr-treated mice is not mediated by suppressor cells, but may be due to the destruction of the marrow microenvironment which is essential for the generation of functional NK(YAC-1) cells.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000528:radiation effects*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000528:radiation effects; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D004915:Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute / Q000276:immunology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000528:radiation effects; D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D013326:Strontium Radioisotopes