Augmentation of in vitro antibody response by disulfide compounds. II. T cell-mediated augmentation by oxidized dithiothreitol, an intramolecular disulfide.
In order to investigate the mechanism of action of disulfide compounds in the augmentation of the antibody response in vitro, we attempted to identify the target cells of the action of disulfides using oxidized dithiothreitol (DTTox; an intramolecular disulfide). DTTox markedly augmented the antibody responses not only to sheep erythrocytes, a T cell-dependent antigen, but also to T cell-independent antigens like dinitrophenyl-Ficoll and trinitrophenyl-lipopolysaccharide. The augmenting effect of DTTox in the response to SRBC was markedly abrogated when murine spleen lymphocytes were depleted of T cells and cultured in the presence of concanavalin A-conditioned medium containing the activity of T cell-replacing factor. The augmentation was restored by adding back purified T cells. On the other hand, the augmentation by 2-mercaptoethanol was not affected by these treatments. The antibody responses to dinitrophenyl-Ficoll and trinitrophenyl-lipopolysaccharide, and the polyclonal antibody response induced by lipopolysaccharide were no longer enhanced by DTTox when T cells were depleted. These results suggested that the augmenting effect of DTTox was not due to the direct activation of B cells, as with 2-mercaptoethanol, but was mediated by the stimulation of T cells. This assumption was further supported by the observation that DTTox stimulated the in vitro induction of helper T cell activity in the presence of antigens.
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects*; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D000955:Antigens, T-Independent / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004220:Disulfides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004229:Dithiothreitol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
D000941:Antigens; D000955:Antigens, T-Independent; D004220:Disulfides; D004229:Dithiothreitol