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R T Smith

Publications and source records attributed to R T Smith.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Differential morphology of mouse spleen cells stimulated in vitro by endotoxin, phytohemagglutinin, pokeweed mitogen and staphylococcal enterotoxin B.

The in vitro mitogenic effects of endotoxin (LPS), phytohemagglutinin (PHA), pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) on mouse spleen cells were studied by light and electron microscopy. By light microscopy, LPS was found to "transform" a culture largely composed of small lymphocytes into "large lymphocytes" which did not synthesize DNA and into blast cells which did synthesize DNA. The blast cells were morphologically similar to those transformed by PHA, PWM and SEB. By electron microscopy, a large percentage of the endotoxin-transformed cells developed extensive dilated rough ER. Their appearance was similar to that reported by others for cells stimulated by PWM, but in our hands the development of rough ER was more conspicuous in LPS-stimulated cells. In contrast, PHA and SEB produced few blast cells which contained significant rough ER. The morphologic observations are consistent with the hypothesis that the mitogenic effect of endotoxin is on bone-marrow-derived lymphocytes. This effect may relate to the known adjuvant effect of endotoxin in vivo.

Animals↗

Immunologic properties of mouse thymus cells. Identification of T cell functions within a minor, low-density subpopulation.

The functional attributes of minor subpopulations of mouse thymus cells derived by bovine serum albumin density gradient centrifugation, cortisone treatment, or selective depletion by anti-TL or anti-theta treatment have been examined. A subpopulation derived in each fashion contains the cells required to evoke graft-versus-host reactions in neonatal F(1) hybrid recipients and to be stimulated by alloantigens in vitro in one-way mixed lymphocyte cultures and by phytohemagglutinin. The functions of this subpopulation are abrogated by treatment with anti-H-2 plus complement and by high concentrations of anti-theta. A tentative ordering of the various thymus cell subpopulations, on the basis of these and other data, is described.

Animals↗

Cellular recognition in vitro by mouse lymphocytes. Effects of neonatal thymectomy and thymus graft restoration on alloantigen and PHA stimulation of whole and gradient-separated subpopulations of spleen cells.

The effects of thymectomy and thymus graft restoration upon the in vitro primary responses to alloantigens and PHA have been studied. It has been found that neonatal thymectomy substantially eliminates both PHA reactivity and responsiveness to alloantigens assayed in vitro in host spleen cell populations. Analysis of albumin density gradient-separated subpopulations of the spleen and thymus in such animals was also performed. It was found that the total and proportional representation of the individual density subpopulations was identical in neonatally thymectomized, in normal, and in thymectomized and thymus graft-restored animals. Therefore, thymectomized mice appear to retain a nonfunctioning, small, dense, lymphocyte population. Reconstitution of thymic-dependent in vitro reactivity was nearly complete when syngeneic, but not allogeneic or semisyngeneic thymus was employed. Occasional partial restoration did occur when F(1) thymus was employed, but never when allogeneic thymus was grafted. The grafted thymus contained PHA and alloantigen-reactive cells in a large, less dense B layer subpopulation, whereas the restored animals, as in the case of normals, showed these reactivities to be a property of a small, more dense cell population.

Albumins↗

Cellular recognition by mouse lymphocytes in vitro. I. Definition of a new technique and results of stimulation by phytohemagglutinin and specific antigens.

The media and culture conditions required for in vitro stimulation of mouse lymphoid cells are described. The medium was arginine-rich and contained heat-inactivated human serum. A component of the human sera necessary for stimulation of the cells was a natural mouse cell agglutinin, which affected both background stimulation and the degree of induced stimulation with phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Absorption of the agglutinin from the human serum rendered the medium incapable of sustaining DNA synthesis in the presence of PHA. The response to PHA of mouse spleen and thymus cells was age-dependent and, although this response was not present at birth, it rapidly rose to adult levels. Spleen cells from mice immunized with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) or sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) showed increased in vitro reactivity to added purified protein derivative (PPD) or SRBC stroma, dependent on the time of immunization. The dose response curve for the SRBC stroma stimulated, immune spleen cells is compatible with a theory of cell to cell interaction being necessary for an in vitro reaction to antigen. The possible role of the mouse cell agglutinin (AMLG) is discussed.

Age Factors↗