Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Infection and Immunity logoLink to Infection and Immunity
. 1979 Oct;26(1):187–192. doi: 10.1128/iai.26.1.187-192.1979

Thymosin restoration of cellular immunity to Blastomyces dermatitidis in T-cell-depleted mice.

R E Longley, G C Cozad
PMCID: PMC414593  PMID: 500201

Abstract

The immunopotentiating properties of thymosin in thymectomized, lethally irradiated, bone marrow-reconstituted mice (ThyXBM) were characterized, using footpad sensitivity to Blastomyces dermatitidis. Normal mice were shown to exhibit increasing delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to killed yeast cells of B. dermatitidis after injections of the organism on days 0 and 7, as measured by footpad swelling tests. The footpad response of normal thymosin-treated mice was similar to that of normal, non-thymosin-treated mice. ThyXBM mice were unable to elicit a footpad response when similarly injected and footpad tested with B. dermatitidis. Thymosin-treated ThyXBM mice responded to footpad testing at a level that was 62% greater than the response seen in non-thymosin-treated ThyXBM mice. This peak response occurred on day 12. The results indicated that thymosin was unable to enhance immune responses of normal intact mice but could restore immunocompetence in a T-cell-depleted host, as measured by footpad sensitivity to B. dermatitidis.

Full text

PDF
187

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bach J. F., Dardenne M., Pleau J. M., Bach M. A. Isolation, biochemical characteristics, and biological activity of a circulating thymic hormone in the mouse and in the human. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1975 Feb 28;249:186–210. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1975.tb29068.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Goldstein A. L., Cohen G. H., Rossio J. L., Thurman G. B., Brown C. N., Ulrich J. T. Use of thymosin in the treatment of primary immunodeficiency diseases and cancer. Med Clin North Am. 1976 May;60(3):591–606. doi: 10.1016/s0025-7125(16)31900-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Goldstein A. L., Guha A., Zatz M. M., Hardy M. A., White A. Purification and biological activity of thymosin, a hormone of the thymus gland. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1972 Jul;69(7):1800–1803. doi: 10.1073/pnas.69.7.1800. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Goldstein A. L., Slater F. D., White A. Preparation, assay, and partial purification of a thymic lymphocytopoietic factor (thymosin). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1966 Sep;56(3):1010–1017. doi: 10.1073/pnas.56.3.1010. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hooper J. A., McDaniel M. C., Thurman G. B., Cohen G. H., Schulof R. S., Goldstein A. L. Purification and properties of bovine thymosin. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1975 Feb 28;249:125–144. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1975.tb29063.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Law L. W., Goldstein A. L., White A. Influence of thymosin on immunological competence of lymphoid cells from thymectomized mice. Nature. 1968 Sep 28;219(5161):1391–1392. doi: 10.1038/2191391a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Miller J. F. T-cell regulation of immune responsiveness. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1975 Feb 28;249:9–26. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1975.tb29052.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Restrepo-Moreno A., Schneidau J. D., Jr Nature of the skin-reactive principle in culture filtrates prepared from Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. J Bacteriol. 1967 Jun;93(6):1741–1748. doi: 10.1128/jb.93.6.1741-1748.1967. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. SJODIN K., DALMASSO A. P., SMITH J. M., MARTINEZ C. THYMECTOMY IN NEWBORN AND ADULT MICE. Transplantation. 1963 Oct;1:521–525. doi: 10.1097/00007890-196301040-00011. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Scheid M. P., Hoffmann M. K., Komuro K., Hämmerling U., Abbott J., Boyse E. A., Cohen G. H., Hooper J. A., Schulof R. S., Goldstein A. L. Differentiation of T cells induced by preparations from thymus and by nonthymic agents. J Exp Med. 1973 Oct 1;138(4):1027–1032. doi: 10.1084/jem.138.4.1027. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Scheinberg M. A., Goldstein A. L., Cathcart E. S. Thymosin restores T cell function and reduces the incidence of amyloid disease in casein-treated mice. J Immunol. 1976 Jan;116(1):156–158. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Scillian J. J., Cozad G. C., Spencer H. D. Passive transfer of delayed hypersensitivity to Blastomyces dermatitidis between mice. Infect Immun. 1974 Oct;10(4):705–711. doi: 10.1128/iai.10.4.705-711.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Spencer H. D., Cozad G. C. Role of delayed hypersensitivity in blastomycosis of mice. Infect Immun. 1973 Mar;7(3):329–334. doi: 10.1128/iai.7.3.329-334.1973. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Wybran J., Levin A. S., Fudenberg H. H., Goldstein A. L. Thymosin: effects on normal human blood T-cells. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1975 Feb 28;249:300–307. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1975.tb29077.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Youmans G. P., Youmans A. S. Allergenicity of mycobacterial ribosomal and ribonucleic acid preparations in mice and guinea pigs. J Bacteriol. 1969 Jan;97(1):134–139. doi: 10.1128/jb.97.1.134-139.1969. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Infection and Immunity are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES