Abstract
Neonatally thymectomized mice were implanted with thymus grafts composed of epithelial reticular cells for periods of 7 and 14 days. Regardless of whether the grafts were placed immediately after thymectomy, or at 3 wk of age, there was little recovery of the lymphocyte depletion and impaired immunologic responsiveness, characteristically found in a neonatally thymectomized host. The findings were similar in animals studied at 2 months or 2 wk after graft removal. Many of the short-term remnant grafts were populated with lymphocytes and had attained the morphologic appearance of thymus by 14 days. A lesser degree of lymphocyte depletion and impaired responsiveness to SRBC occurred if thymectomy was delayed until 7 days of age, if remnant grafts were removed after 2 months, and if intact neonatal thymus was used for the short-term grafts. Complete normality was found in some of the animals in all of these groups. These observations suggest a direct role for mature thymus lymphocytes in reconstituting the neonatally thymectomized host and indicate that epithelial cell function is to direct the maturation of cells that ultimately behave as thymus lymphocytes.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (675.3 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Davies A. J., Leuchars E., Wallis V., Koller P. C. The mitotic response of thymus-derived cells to antigenic stimulus. Transplantation. 1966 Jul;4(4):438–451. doi: 10.1097/00007890-196607000-00008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Dukor P., Miller J. F., House W., Allman V. Regeneration of thymus grafts. I. Histological and cytological aspects. Transplantation. 1965 Sep;3(5):639–668. doi: 10.1097/00007890-196509000-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- GOOD R. A., DALMASSO A. P., MARTINEZ C., ARCHER O. K., PIERCE J. C., PAPERMASTER B. W. The role of the thymus in development of immunologic capacity in rabbits and mice. J Exp Med. 1962 Nov 1;116:773–796. doi: 10.1084/jem.116.5.773. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- HARRIS J. E., FORD C. E. CELLULAR TRAFFIC OF THE THYMUS: EXPERIMENTS WITH CHROMOSOME MARKERS. EVIDENCE THAT THE THYMUS PLAYS AN INSTRUCTIONAL PART. Nature. 1964 Feb 29;201:884–885. doi: 10.1038/201884a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hays E. F. The effect of epithelial remnant and whole organ grafts of thymus on the recovery of thymectomized irradiated mice. J Exp Med. 1969 Jun 1;129(6):1235–1246. doi: 10.1084/jem.129.6.1235. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hays E. F. The effects of allografts of thymic epithelial reticular cells on the lymphoid tissues of neonatally thymectomized mice. Blood. 1967 Jan;29(1):29–40. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Law L. W., Agnew H. D. Effect of thymic extracts on restoration of immunologic competence in thymectomized mice. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1968 Mar;127(3):953–956. doi: 10.3181/00379727-127-32843. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- MCINTIRE K. R., SELL S., MILLER J. F. PATHOGENESIS OF THE POST-NEONATAL THYMECTOMY WASTING SYNDROME. Nature. 1964 Oct 10;204:151–155. doi: 10.1038/204151a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- MILLER J. F. Immunological function of the thymus. Lancet. 1961 Sep 30;2(7205):748–749. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(61)90693-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Miller J. F., Mitchell G. F. Cell to cell interaction in the immune response. I. Hemolysin-forming cells in neonatally thymectomized mice reconstituted with thymus or thoracic duct lymphocytes. J Exp Med. 1968 Oct 1;128(4):801–820. doi: 10.1084/jem.128.4.801. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- NOSSAL G. J. STUDIES ON THE RATE OF SEEDING OF LYMPHOCYTES FROM THE INTACT GUINEA PIG THYMUS. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1964 Nov 30;120:171–181. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1964.tb34715.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- OSOBA D., MILLER J. F. THE LYMPHOD TISSUES AND IMMUNE RESPONSES OF NEONATALLY THYMECTOMIZED MICE BEARING THYMUS TISSUE IN MILLIPORE DIFFUSION CHAMBERS. J Exp Med. 1964 Jan 1;119:177–194. doi: 10.1084/jem.119.1.177. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Parrott D. V., De Sousa M. A., East J. Thymus-dependent areas in the lymphoid organs of neonatally thymectomized mice. J Exp Med. 1966 Jan 1;123(1):191–204. doi: 10.1084/jem.123.1.191. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Trainin N., Linker-Israeli M. Restoration of immunologic reactivity of thymectomized mice by calf thymus extracts. Cancer Res. 1967 Feb;27(2):309–313. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]