Abstract
AbstractBovine serum albumin (BSA) and human 0 red blood cells (0 RBC) were injected into six thymic lobes or into the vein of 8‐week old normal and neonatally bursectomized New Hampshire chickens in order to study the antibody production. Thymus and spleen cells from donors immunized by the intrathymic or intravenous route with BSA were used in the transfer of antibody response to homologous bursaless nonimmunized recipients. The thymus, spleen and bursa of chickens immunized with 0 RBC were inspected for the presence of plaque‐forming cells.Intrathymic injection of BSA induced a prompt appearance of 2‐mercaptoethanol (ME)‐sensitive anti‐BSA antibodies in a number of chickens, and progressive increase of antibody titer. Bursectomized chickens showed very weak primary antibody response (only antibody of ME‐sensitive type) following intrathymic or intravenous stimulation with BSA.The amount of ME‐sensitive hemagglutinins increased 2 days after intrathymic or intravenous administration of 0 RBC, but there was no immediate rise of hemagglutinin titer in intrathymically injected birds. Intravenous injection of 0 RBC was superior to intrathymic injection in inducing ME‐sensitive and ME‐resist ant he magglutinins.Thymus cells from donors immunized intrathymically with BSA were capable of transferring antibody response to neonatally bursectomized recipients. The most effective were thymus cells from BSA‐injected lobes. Thymus and spleen cells from intravenously immunized chickens exhibited a lower capacity for transferring the production of antibody. On the other hand, thymus and spleen cells from bursaless donors immunized intrathymically with BSA failed completely to induce antibody production in nonimmunized bursectomized recipients.Plaque‐forming cells were found in the thymus, spleen and bursa of chickens immunized intrathymically or intravenously with human erythrocytes.The results were interpreted as further support for the concept that the thymus is actively involved in immune reactions, and that the chicken thymus shares properties of both primary and secondary lymphoid tissues.
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