Loss of RT6 message and most circulating T cells after thymectomy of diabetes prone BB rats.
T cells expressing the RT6 surface alloantigen perform important immunoregulatory functions in the rat. Diabetes prone (DP) BB rats are deficient in circulating RT6+ T cells and develop spontaneous autoimmune diabetes mellitus. Transfusions leading to engraftment of RT6+ T cells prevent the disease. Coisogenic diabetes resistant (DR) BB rats do circulate RT6+ T cells and are free of disease. We investigated the basis for the deficiency of RT6+ T cells in the DP-BB rat and made the following observations. 1. Thymectomy causes the rapid loss of most peripheral T cells in the DP-BB rat. 2. Concomitant with the loss of T cells is the total loss of mRNA encoding RT6. 3. In contrast to the effects observed in peripheral lymphoid tissues, thymectomy does not lead to a detectable loss in RT6+ protein found in the small intestine. We conclude that the deficiency of RT6+ peripheral T cells in the DP-BB rat is due either to their short life span or to their reduced proliferative capacity following release from the thymus.
Sarkar
P
P
Diabetes Division, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester.
Crisá
L
L
McKeever
U
U
Bortell
R
R
Handler
E
E
Mordes
J P
JP
Waite
D
D
Schoenbaum
A
A
Haag
F
F
Koch-Nolte
F
F
D036002:ADP Ribose Transferases; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007519:Isoantigens; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000172:deficiency*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011913:Rats, Inbred BB; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013934:Thymectomy
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D007519:Isoantigens; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D036002:ADP Ribose Transferases; C090163:Art2b protein, rat