Does depression of NK activity cause lymphadenopathy in lpr mice?

B6-lpr/lpr mice develop massive T cell lymphoproliferation, as associated with autoimmune disease. We found a reduced NK activity in the spleen of B6-lpr/lpr mice. Neonatal thymectomy markedly retarded the development of lymphoproliferation and the development of autoantibodies in the B6-lpr/lpr mice. These animals had a higher level of NK activity in the spleen. When the neonatally thymectomized B6-lpr/lpr mice were given anti-asialo GM1 serum (30 microliter) four times at 6-day intervals, initiated at the 8th-10th postnatal week, these mice developed lymphoproliferative disorders and splenomegaly, concomitantly with depression of NK activity. It is therefore tempting to speculate that NK cells are involved in the regulation of the occurrence of lymphoproliferative disorders.