Mitogenic responses of canine peripheral blood lymphocytes to staphylococcal protein A

In order to produce long term lymphoid cell cultures from canine lymphocytes of known histocompatibility antigen specificities, mitogenic responses to staphylococcal protein A (SpA) were examined and compared with those of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (Con A). SpA was found to be the strongest mitogen tested with significant responses to concentrations as low as 31 ng/ml. There was a decrease in responsiveness above optimal mitogen concentrations with SpA and PHA. Peak responses were observed at lower concentrations for longer incubation times. PHA showed a rapid fall off in thymidine uptake below optimal concentrations whereas the SpA dose-response curve was less steep and a shoulder or secondary peak of activity was observed at low SpA concentrations in some cases. Continuous SpA stimulation of lymphocyte cultures resulted in an initial period of cell proliferation followed usually by a second period of cell proliferation around week 7 of culture. To date, viable cell cultures have been maintained for up to 12 weeks in vitro. SpA lymphoblast cultures behave normally in microcytotoxicity tests for serologically defined DLA histocompatibility antigens and remain functional in natural killer (NK) and PHA induced cell mediated cytotoxic reactions against 51Cr-labelled tumour target cells but were not themselves susceptible as target cells for NK activity.