Immunological responses of the BB rat colony in Edinburgh

Several immunological responses of the spontaneously diabetic BB rat colony in Edinburgh designated (BB/E) have been studied. The proliferative responses to Con A and LPS, ability to make IL-2 and to show NK activity have been studied using diabetic and non-diabetic BB/E rats and normal Wistar rats. Our data suggest that the diabetic animals in the BB/E colony do not have marked deficiencies in any of these parameters. Lymphopenia and depressed T-cell responses do not appear to be a prerequisite for the development of diabetes in the BB/E colony.