title: Differential induction of programmed cell death in CD8+ and CD4+ T cells by the B subunit of cholera toxin.
abstract: We have recently demonstrated that a short-term treatment of parental splenocytes with the B subunit of cholera toxin (CT-B) abrogates the development of acute GVHD in F1 hybrid mice transplanted with these cells. In order to obtain better insight into the mechanism of the action of CT-B, we studied the effect of CT-B on survival of purified murine T cells and their subsets. We show that treatment with B subunit stimulates apoptosis in T cells, detectable following incubation in vitro. Although apoptosis was noticed in both CD8+ and CD4+ T cell subsets, the treatment preferentially stimulates programmed cell death (PCD) in CD8+ population. Thus, immunosuppressive action of CT-B in vivo may be in part due to its ability to eliminate CD8+ T cells.
authors.affiliation: Bone Marrow Transplantation Program, Lombardi Cancer Center, Department of Radiation Medicine Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 20007, USA.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yankelevich
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Soldatenkov
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hodgson
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Polotsky
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Creswell
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazumder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D002772:Cholera Toxin