Abstract
The in vitro reactivity of mouse thymus cells to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and allogeneic cells has been investigated using the incorporation of tritiated thymidine as a marker for cellular stimulation. It was observed that thymus cells from untreated donors were stimulated to a very slight extent in the mixed leucocyte culture (MLC) and by PHA compared to cells from lymph nodes and spleen. However, highly reactive thymic cells could be obtained by treating the donor animals with cortisone acetate. This treatment also enhanced the reactivity of the animals' lymph node cells, but the increase was small relative to thymus cells. Cortisone-resistant thymic cells cultured together with allogeneic mitomycin-treated cells were found to be transformed into killer cells. These cells could specifically kill fibroblasts in vitro carrying the same major histocompatibility antigens as the mitomycin-treated cells. The results strongly suggest that the cells in the thymus which can be stimulated by PHA or allogeneic cells are part of the relatively cortisone-resistant fraction of the thymus cell population.
Published Version
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