Evidence for generation of suppressor T cells in Mycobacterium lepraemurium-infected CBA/J mice, a mouse strain highly susceptible to the infection.
Susceptibility to Mycobacterium lepraemurium (MLM) infection markedly differed between two mouse strains, CBA/J and C57BL/6. CBA/J mice showed high susceptibility to MLM infection and developed either very weak or no delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to MLM antigen after the injection of MLM. In contrast, C57BL/6 mice, which were resistant to MLM infection, showed significant DTH reaction to MLM antigen after the injection. Treatment of CBA/J mice with cyclophosphamide (Cy) conferred significant resistance to MLM infection on the CBA/J mice, and the treated mice developed a strong anti-MLM DTH response after the MLM injection. When spleen cells from MLM-infected CBA/J mice were transferred to Cy-treated and MLM-infected syngeneic mice, the anti-MLM DTH reaction of the recipient mice was suppressed. Treatment of the spleen cells to be transferred with anti-Thy-1.2 antibody or anti-I-Jk antiserum plus complement abrogated the suppressive activity. Thus, it is suggested that the high susceptibility of CBA/J mice to MLM infection is due to the generation of Cy-sensitive, I-Jk-positive suppressor T cells after infection with MLM.
D000818:Animals; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009167:Mycobacterium lepraemurium; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000187:drug effects*
D003520:Cyclophosphamide