T cell factor (interleukin 2) allows in vivo induction of T helper cells against heterologous erythrocytes in athymic (nu/nu) mice.
Mice carrying the nude mutation (nu/nu) lack a functioning thymus and do not contain detectable levels of immunocompetent T cells. We now report that nu/nu mice to have lymphocytes which can be activated in vivo by heterologous erythrocytes and a Lyt-1 T cell-derived factor (interleukin 2) to generate T helper cells. Thus, a lymphokine is described which is able to restore in vivo T helper cell immunocompetence of nu/nu mice. The data may suggest that nu/nu mice contain a low number of T lymphocytes influenced by the cystic remnant of the nu/nu thymus anlage. Alternatively, the data imply that interleukin 2 circumvents the requirement of a thymus during ontogeny of T lymphocytes.
D000818:Animals; D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum / Q000494:pharmacology; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008819:Mice, Nude; D012756:Sheep; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000961:Antilymphocyte Serum; D003165:Complement System Proteins