Effects of aging on cell cooperation and lymphocyte responsiveness to cytokines.
Functional activities and cell cooperation of macrophages (Mphi), T cells, and B cells of young and old Lewis rats were compared. Splenic M phi from young and old rats provided accessory help for T cell mitogenesis and B cell mitogenesis, provided accessory help for generation of PFC, and produced IL 1 equally well as measured in costimulator assays. Splenic T cells of aged Lewis rats, however, were poorly responsive in mitogen assays and did not respond to supplemental IL 2 and antigen with blast transformation and with increased help for B cells to produce PFC. "Old" B cells did not respond in vitro to mitogens with help from M phi and T cells, nor did they respond to B cell helper factor with increased PFC. The data indicate that hyporesponsiveness of the immune system, especially of B cells, in aged rats is due in part to defective reactivity to interleukins and cytokine(s) and to defective cell-cell cooperation.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D001688:Biological Products / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines; D005260:Female; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D008222:Lymphokines; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology
D001688:Biological Products; D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008222:Lymphokines; C021649:concanavalin A-induced helper factors; D003208:Concanavalin A