Age-dependent accumulation of thymic hormone-sensitive cells.
T-cell subsets were investigated in the thymus and spleen of BALB/c mice from 1 to 9 mth of age. It was found that in both of these organs, the proportion of T cells with a high surface concentration of Thy 1 antigen increased with age. The intensity of the graft-versus-host reaction induced by spleen and lymph node cells in F1 hybrids also increased with age. On the other hand, the response of thymocytes to Con A measured by migration inhibition decreased with age. All of these parameters could be reversed to the 1-mth-old levels by preincubation of the cells with a thymic hormone preparation. This indicates that in the time span under study, the changes observed could be attributed to an accumulation of thymic hormone-sensitive cells.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000187:drug effects; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D006087:Graft vs Host Reaction; D051379:Mice; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013499:Surface Properties; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology; D013951:Thymus Hormones / Q000276:immunology*
D000941:Antigens; D013951:Thymus Hormones; D003208:Concanavalin A