Immune reactivity during ageing. III. Removal of peanut-agglutinin binding cells from ageing mouse spleen cells leads to increased reactivity to mitogens.
Spleen cells from ageing (24--30-month-old) mice, manifesting low response to concanavalin A (Con A) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA), were separated by peanut agglutinin (PNA) into agglutinable (PNA+) and unagglutinable (PNA-) fractions. The PNA+ cells were found to suppress the response of young (2--3-month-old) mouse spleen cells to the mitogens Con A and PHA. On the other hand, PNA- cells of the ageing mice expressed a response to these mitogens, at levels higher than those of the unseparated cells. Re-mixing of the PNA- and PNA+ cells of the ageing mouse spleens at various proportions indicated that the PNA- cells are indeed suppressible by the PNA+ cells. Anti Thy-1.2 treatment to the PNA+ fraction suggested that this suppression was not exerted by T cells. It thus appears that at least part of the reduced lymphoid cell function in ageing is related to an effect of suppressor cells, interfering with the expression of available reactive cells.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology*; D037102:Lectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D019887:Peanut Agglutinin; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000502:physiology
D037102:Lectins; D019887:Peanut Agglutinin; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D003208:Concanavalin A