title: B cell tolerance: B cells rendered tolerant are present in the immune system in a potentially responsive form.
abstract: The mechanisms of B cell tolerance were studied in an attempt to learn whether B cells rendered tolerant are present in the immune system in a potentially responsive form. The author tested the in vitro anti-trinitrophenyl (TNP) antibody-forming cell (anti-TNP AFC) response to TNP-immunogens and polyclonal B cell activators (PBA) of spleen cells taken from mice injected with a tolerogen, TNP-carboxymethylcellulose (TNP-CMC). Spleen cells from mice injected 5 days previously with 10 microgram of TNP-CMC did not respond to TNP-sheep red blood cells (TNP-SRBC), T-dependent (TD) antigen or TNP-Ficoll, T-independent (TI) antigen. However, the same spleen cells responded to PBA, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Salmonella enteritidis and purified protein derivative (PPD) of BCG. The results indicate that B cells specific for TNP are present in a potentially responsive form. Spleen cells from mice injected with 500 microgram of TNP-CMC did not respond to either TNP-immunogens or PBA. The state of unresponsiveness to PBA reappeared within the short period of 2 days, whereas unresponsiveness to TNP-immunogens lasted much longer. Unresponsiveness to PBA was relieved considerably by treating tolerant spleen cells with the proteolytic enzyme trypsin before in vitro stimulation. These results indicate that B cells rendered refractory are present in the immune system in a potentially responsive form.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium / Q000276:immunology; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007700:Kinetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D014301:Trinitrobenzenes / Q000276:immunology; D014357:Trypsin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D014301:Trinitrobenzenes; D014357:Trypsin; D002266:Carboxymethylcellulose Sodium