The response of the foetal lamb to maternal lymphocytes.
Foetal lambs were inoculated with either maternal or third-party lymphocytes. Of foetuses transfused in the first half of pregnancy (from 49 to 73 days), one quarter survived until the fifth month. Examination of the immunological reactivity of these survivors revealed that all rejected skin grafts from the lymphocyte donors and manifested normal mixed lymphocyte reactivity. In two instances, responsiveness of the transfused lambs to normal lymphocyte transfer was reduced. Foetal lambs transfused with large numbers of maternal lymphocytes in the last third of pregnancy could survive provided the donor ewe had not been sensitized against foetal or paternal determinants. Following intravenous challenge with maternal lymphocytes, cells collected over a prolonged period from the thoracic duct of the foetal recipient exhibited depression of anti-maternal reactivity in mixed lymphocyte culture.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000276:immunology; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000276:immunology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D017710:Lymphocyte Transfusion; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D009026:Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep / Q000276:immunology*; D013897:Thoracic Duct / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology