Effect of thymosin on thymocyte proliferation and autoimmunity in NZB mice.

Abstract

Donor NZB mice were treated with various regimens of thymosin in an attempt to preserve a normal DNA synthetic response in 8 week old NZB thymocytes. Results suggest that abnormal thymocyte differentiation and loss of suppression can be prevented by administration of thymosin either prophylactically to young mice (under 28 days) or in larger doses to older mice (35 days). It is hoped that the abnormal thymocyte proliferation will correlate with the subsequent emergence of autoimmune disease and that treatment with thymosin may have therapeutic possibilities. Results suggest that thymosin might act either to induce the appearance of new T-cells with suppressor-like characteristics or to influence aberrant T-cells to revert to more normal modes of function. These results raise the interesting possibility that an endocrine disturbance may underlie many of the immunologic abnormalities associated with autoimmunity and lymphoid malignancy in New Zealand mice and, by analogy, in humans. (MFB)