Role of the Thymus in Tolerance

[摘要] Adult rats received 467 r of whole body irradiation with shielding of the thymus and, immediately after, intrathymic or intravenous injection of centrifuged “soluble” or heat-aggregated BγG. Following challenge with BγG in complete adjuvant 3 weeks later, the formation of hemagglutinating and precipitating antibody and the development of Arthus and delayed skin reactivity were specifically inhibited, the effect being greater with soluble than aggregated antigen and much greater with intrathymic than intravenous antigen. Delayed reactivity was only partly inhibited by doses of antigen which completely suppressed other responses. Challenge at 10 weeks showed that specific inhibition was present but much diminished.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）