Secondary antibody-forming potential of mice in relation to age—Its significance in senescence☆

[摘要] AprimaryantibodyresponseprofileanalogoustoadampedharmonicmotionwasobservedwhenBC3F1micewereinjectedi.p.with1.5×108ratredbloodcorpuscleswhentheywere1montholdandtheiragglutininresponsewasfollowedthroughouttheirlife-span.Thereweresixcyclesofriseandfallintiter,andthelengthofeachinsequencewas3,23,24,16,24,and16weeks.Thespleencellmass,indicativeofthetotalnumberofcellsperspleen,increasedexponentiallybetween1weekand2monthsafterbirthwithaT2of∼1monthandthenincreasedgraduallythroughoutthelife-span.Theprimaryantibody-formingpotential(PAFP)perspleenincreased10-foldtoamaximumlevelbetween1and4monthsofage,remainedatthislevelforthenext3–4months,andthendecreasedslowlyinapparentlyanexponentialmannerwithaT12of∼10monthsuntilatleast31monthsofage.When1-month-oldmicewereprimedwithanadequatedoseofantigentheirsecondaryantibody-formingpotential(SAFP)perspleenincreased32-foldduringthefirstweekafterprimingandanother3-foldtoamaximumlevelduringthesubsequent3months.ItthendecreasedinanapparentlyexponentialmannerwithaT12of∼10monthsuntilatleast27monthsofage.TheSAFPpermousealsoincreasedrapidlyduringthefirstmonthafterprimingandthenslowlyduringthenext2monthstoamaximumlevel.DuringthisintervaltheSAFPpermouseincreased25-foldincontrasttoa100-foldincreaseintheSAFPperspleen.TheSAFPpermouseremainedatthismaximumlevelforthenext2–4monthsbeforeittoobegantodecreaseexponentiallywithaT12of6monthsuntilatleast27monthsofage.Theresultsarediscussedintermsofachangeinimmunologicallycompetentcellsandhomeostaticfactorsregulatingtheexpressionofthesecells.Abriefdiscussionisalsomadeofthesignificanceofsenescenceofimmunepotentialtothelifeexpectancyofanindividual.

[学科分类] 生物科学（综合）