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Published on: February 11, 2015
IMMUNE RESPONSE AND MITOSIS OF HUMAN PERIPHERAL BLOOD LYMPHOCYTES IN VITRO
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|November 29, 1963
Summary
Phytohemagglutinin stimulates lymphocytes to divide and produce gamma-globulin, with some cells transforming into plasmocyte-like forms. Actinomycin D inhibits this process, and antigen exposure triggers a similar, but limited, response in sensitized lymphocytes.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Lymphocytes play a crucial role in the immune response.
- Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) is a known mitogen that stimulates lymphocyte proliferation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of phytohemagglutinin and specific antigens on cultured lymphocytes.
- To understand the mechanisms of lymphocyte transformation and gamma-globulin production.
Main Methods:
- Culturing human lymphocytes.
- Treating cultures with phytohemagglutinin (PHA).
- Administering Actinomycin D to inhibit RNA synthesis.
- Challenging sensitized lymphocytes with specific antigens and unrelated cells/extracts.
Main Results:
- PHA induced lymphocyte agglutination, division, and gamma-globulin production.
- Most PHA-stimulated cells transformed into large lymphocytes, some resembling plasmocytes.
- Actinomycin D blocked gamma-globulin production within 2 hours.
- Specific antigens triggered morphological transformation, gamma-globulin production, and division in a subset of sensitized lymphocytes.
- Exposure to unrelated cells or extracts elicited a similar, albeit less specific, reaction.
Conclusions:
- Phytohemagglutinin is a potent stimulator of lymphocyte activation, leading to proliferation and immunoglobulin synthesis.
- Lymphocyte response to specific antigens is a selective process, involving morphological and functional changes.
- The study highlights the complex nature of lymphocyte activation and differentiation in vitro.
