Lymphoid cell dependence of eosinophil response to antigen. IV. Effects of in vitro x-irradiation on adoptive transfer of anamnestic cellular and humoral responses.

Abstract

Recently, we have reported the detection of two types of memory cells induced by a priming injection of tetanus toxoid—one memory cell mediating the secondary eosinophil response and a separate memory cell associated with antitoxin production. It was further demonstrated that formation of both memory cells was dependent upon the presence of thymic cells at the time of priming. Memory cells involved in eosinophil responses, however, are formed earlier and become more widely distributed in lymphatic tissues than do memory cells involved in antitoxin responses. Consequently, adoptive transfer of specific lymphoid tissues at selected intervals after priming can demonstrate the presence of one type of memory without the other (1, 2). For example, at 10 days after priming, cells present in the spleen were capable of inducing a secondary rise in eosinophils, but not antitoxin. However, at 30 days, splenic cells were capable of inducing both responses. In the experiments to be described, we have demonstrated differing sensitivities of these memory cells to in vitro X-irradiation. Materials and Methods. The experimental procedure is similar to that utilized in previous studies (1–3). Briefly, adult BAFX (C57BL × A/J) female donor mice were primed with a single subcutaneous injection of 0.2 ml aluminum phosphate-adsorbed tetanus toxoid (National Drug Co., Philadelphia, PA) in an adjuvant of 0.2 ml pertussis vaccine (Eli Lilly Drug Co., Indianapolis, IN) diluted 1:10 with saline (PVTT). Thirty days after priming, the mice were sacrificed and cell suspensions made of the spleen.