In vitro studies of the rabbit immune system. VII. The generation of rabbit anti-mouse cytotoxic T lymphocytes.
Lymphocytes from normal or immunized rabbits generated cell-mediated cytotoxic activity (CML) after culture with mitomycin C-treated mouse stimulator cells for 4--7 days. CML activity was detected in short term (4--6 h) isotope-release assays using 51Cr-labeled tumor cells or mitogen stimulated blast cells as targets. Rabbit CML effectors could distinguish between different mouse strains including congenics differing only at H-2. It was previously shown that rabbit CML precursors and effectors expressed antigens recognized by a specific anti-T cell serum (ATS). The current results demonstrate that T-enriched fractions from nylon wool columns were enriched for CTL precursors and were sufficient to generate CML responses. These data were most consistent with the xenogeneic CML being mediated by rabbit cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTL) analogous to murine CTL. Rabbit lymphocytes also produced a strong mixed lymphocyte (MLC) response when tested in microculture with mouse stimulator cells. However, optimal CML and MLC responses did not occur in lymphocytes from the same organ sources or subpopulation. These data implied that CML activity could be generated with little, if any, proliferation necessary.
D000818:Animals; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D007114:Immunization; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D051379:Mice; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000276:immunology; D011817:Rabbits / Q000276:immunology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*