THYMECTOMY: PROLONGATION OF IMMUNOLOGICAL TOLERANCE IN THE ADULT MOUSE

The loss of acquired immunological tolerance of mice to bovine gamma globulin depended on the presence of the thymus. Mice were repeatedly injected with bovine gamma-globulin from birth until the age of 5 to 10 weeks and then thymectomized or sham operated. After 130 to 160 days without antigen, an accelerated (immune) disappearance of I(125) bovine gamma-globulin could be uniformly induced in controls while thymectomized mice remained tolerant. Adult thymectomized mice made tolerant by a single injection of bovine gamma-globulin lost tolerance more slowly than sham-operated controls.     

Thymus and reproduction: sex-linked dysgenesia of the gonad after neonatal thymectomy in mice

Neonatal thymectomy of mice, when no ectopic thymus existed, constantly resulted in developmental arrest of the ovary but not of the testis; it also caused sterility in the female. The ovaries of thymectomized mice were extremely small and were characterized by absence of follicles and corpora lutea. Such an ovarian dysgenesia was observed when the mice were thymectomized at 3 days of age, but not at 7 days or later; it was prevented by thymus grafting.     

Rapid viral induction of plasmacytomas in pristane-primed BALB-c mice

Strain BALB/c mice were injected intraperitoneally with 0.5 milliliter of pristane, and 39 to 56 days later they were infected with Abelson murine leukemia virus, which is a lymphosarcomagenic variant of Moloney virus. Fifty-eight percent of the mice developed lymphosarcoma, and 28 percent developed immunoglobulin-producing plasmacytomas within 20 to 93 days (77 to 149 days after the pristane injection). Two of 57 control mice developed plasmacytomas at days 138 and 166 after a single injection of pristane; no plasmacytomas were found in mice treated with virus alone.     

THYMUS: ITS LIMITED ROLE IN THE RECOVERY OF HOMOGRAFT RESPONSE IN IRRADIATED MICE

Adult mice subjected to thymectomy or sham thymectomy received lethal irradiation and subsequent protective infusion of syngeneic bone marrow. Thirty days later they received allogeneic and xenogeneic skin grafts. Donors of the xenogeneic grafts were rats. The thymectomized mice rejected the grafts of rat skin only slightly later than the controls did; in contrast, the time of retention of allogeneic grafts was significantly longer in the thymectomized mice.     

Adenovirus endocarditis in mice

Viral endocarditis developed in 24 percent of 50 newborn mice 6 to 8 days after intraperitoneal inoculation with murine adenovirus. Typical adenovirus intranuclear inclusions were seen in heart-valve lesions, and high titers of virus were recovered from heart tissue. Furthermore, adenovirions were directly visualized by electron microscopy within endothelial cells and fibroblasts of the heart valves.     

Osteogenic induction across millipore filters in vivo

Immunization of host mice to homograft tissues prior to subcutaneous implantation of homograft bone' within diffusion chambers did not prevent new bone formation on the host side of the filter, thereby indicating its origin from host cells in response to a diffusible osteogenic inductor from within the chamber rather than from undetected escaping homograft cells     

骨髓间充质干细胞对放射性胸腺损伤的修复作用

目的观察骨髓间充质干细胞（MSCs）对放射性胸腺损伤的修复作用.方法 C57BL/6小鼠行1.75 Gy X线全身照射,每周1次,连续4周.实验设正常对照组、照射组及照射＋MSCs组,于末次照射后30、60、90 d称量各组小鼠体质量.取胸腺组织,计算胸腺质量指数,并通过组织学观察MSCs对胸腺组织损伤的修复作用.结果辐射组和MSCs组在照射期间体质量下降,在观察期间内,小鼠体质量随时间逐渐增加,并且MSCs组小鼠体质量略高于辐射组.对照组小鼠胸腺指数随周龄增大而逐渐减小,辐射组和MSCs组小鼠随照射后时间的延长胸腺指数逐渐增加,MSCs组90 d时胸腺指数与对照组小鼠接近.通过观察病理结果可知,正常对照组小鼠胸腺组织皮、髓质结构清楚.辐射组小鼠30 d时胸腺组织淋巴细胞可见变性、坏死,细胞数量减少;60 d时辐射组可见胸腺淋巴细胞出现修复性再生与增生;90 d时辐射组可见胸腺瘤癌前病变.MSCs移植30 d时胸腺组织皮质高度增生,髓质缩小,皮髓质内可见新生的淋巴组织;60 d时胸腺结构趋于正常.结论 MSCs可促进损伤胸腺再生与修复.     

Interleukin-22 drives endogenous thymic regeneration in mice

Endogenous thymic regeneration is a crucial function that allows for renewal of immune competence after stress, infection, or immunodepletion. However, the mechanisms governing this regeneration remain poorly understood. We detail such a mechanism, centered on interleukin-22 (IL-22) and triggered by the depletion of CD4(+)CD8(+) double-positive thymocytes. Intrathymic levels of IL-22 were increased after thymic insult, and thymic recovery was impaired in IL-22-deficient mice. IL-22, which signaled through thymic epithelial cells and promoted their proliferation and survival, was up-regulated by radio-resistant RORγ(t)(+)CCR6(+)NKp46(-) lymphoid tissue inducer cells after thymic injury in an IL-23-dependent manner. Administration of IL-22 enhanced thymic recovery after total body irradiation. These studies reveal mechanisms of endogenous thymic repair and offer innovative regenerative strategies for improving immune competence.     

Neonatal thymectomy results in a repertoire enriched in T cells deleted in adult thymus

In B6AF1 mice, T lymphocytes that use the V beta 11-positive (and not V beta 6-positive or V beta 8-positive) segment in their receptor for antigen are greatly reduced in the thymus and peripheral lymphoid tissues, most likely as a result of clonal deletion. The relative number of V beta 11-positive cells in adult lymph nodes was ten times as high in B6AF1 mice thymectomized 1 to 4 days after birth as in normal mice. Moreover, for the first 10 days of life of B6AF1 mice, mature V beta 11-positive T cells were readily detected in the thymus and spleen. Thus neonatal thymectomy results in the maintenance of the receptor repertoire of early postnatal life, and this correlates with the subsequent development of organ-specific autoimmune diseases.     

Oxygen radicals in influenza-induced pathogenesis and treatment with pyran polymer-conjugated SOD

The pathogenicity of influenza virus infection in the mice involves, at least in part, overreaction of the immune responses of the host rather than a direct effect of virus multiplication. Xanthine oxidase, which is responsible for the generation of oxygen free radicals, was elevated in serum and lung tissue of mice infected with influenza virus. To test the theory that oxygen-free radicals are involved in pathogenesis, free radicals were removed by injecting superoxide dismutase (SOD), a specific superoxide radical scavenger, which was conjugated with a pyran copolymer. The conjugate protected mice against a potentially lethal influenza virus infection if administered 5 to 8 days after infection. These findings indicate that oxygen radicals are important in the pathogenesis of influenza virus infection, and that a polymer-conjugated SOD has therapeutic potential for this virus infection and other diseases associated with free radicals.     

Thymus-dependent lymphocytes: destruction by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

Selective destruction of small lymphocytes in the thymusdependent areas of lymph nodes and thymocytes was observed in mice infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. These changes were clearly evident in lymphoid and splenic tissue 3 days after infection and in the thymus by day 7. The destructive changes paralleled growth of the virus in these organs. The findings show that infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus can temporarily cause the equivalent effect of neonatal thymectomy, that is, a "viral thymectomy," which appears to be related to the ability of this virus to cause persistent infection.     

Murine leukemia: a virus-induced autoimmune disease?

Thymocytes from mice carrying Moloney murine leukemia virus since birth are cytotoxic for normal syngeneic fibroblasts; they are much less cytotoxic for the same cells infected with this virus. The cytotoxic thymocytes appear to increase in number with age of the carrier mice and are present both during preleukemic and leukemic periods. These results suggest that lymphomas in carrier mice result from a sequence of events initiated by intrathymic destruction of normal cells by virus-infected cells, and culminating in the unrestricted proliferation of autoaggressive clones in the thymic cortex.     

Evolution of bunyaviruses by genome reassortment in dually infected mosquitoes (Aedes triseriatus)

Aedes triseriatus mosquitoes became dually infected after ingesting two mutants of LaCrosse (LAC) virus simultaneously or after ingesting, by interrupted feeding, the two viruses sequentially within a 2-day period. After 2 weeks of incubation, approximately 25 percent of the vectors contained new virus genotypes as the result of RNA segment reassortment. New viruses were transmitted when the mosquitoes fed on mice. Viruses ingested more than 2 days after the initial infecting virus did not cause superinfection of the mosquito vectors.     

猪瘟病毒E2基因疫苗在小鼠肌肉中的分布及表达

以昆明小白鼠为实验动物,研究了猪瘟病毒（Ｈｏｇｃｈｏｌｅｒａｖｉｒｕｓ,ＨＣＶ）Ｅ２囊膜糖蛋白（Ｅ２ｅｎｖｅｌｏｐｅｇｌｙｃｏｐｒｏｔｅｉｎ,Ｅ２）基因疫苗（ＨＣＶＥ２基因疫苗）在小鼠肌肉中的分布及表达,ＨＣＶＥ２基因疫苗ｐＣＤＳＴ接种小鼠胫前肌后,原位杂交检测结果表明,肌纤维间和肌浆中的疫苗质粒被迅速降解,细胞核内的疫苗质粒可免受降解而保存较长时间;ＨＣＶＥ２基因已被转录为ｍＲＮＡ,免疫后１１ｄ左右转录达到高峰。免疫组化法检测结果表明,表达的Ｅ２抗原主要分布于肌纤维膜上,少量分布于肌纤维间,免疫后１３ｄ左右肌肉中Ｅ２抗原量最多。     

4株狂犬病毒感染小鼠的临床症状及脑组织病理学观察

[目的]对比狂犬病毒固定强毒株CVS-24、广西街毒株GX074、弱毒株rRC-HL和重组毒株rRC-HL△G感染小鼠后的临床症状及脑组织病理学变化,为揭示狂犬病毒的致病机理提供参考依据.[方法]将CVS-24、GX074、rRC-HL和rRC-HL△G分别通过脑内注射SPF级昆明小鼠,以注射DMEM为对照,每只小鼠注射30μL,攻毒后连续观察测量小鼠的体重和死亡情况,采取濒临死亡小鼠的脑组织制作石蜡切片,经HE染色后观察脑组织的病理变化.[结果]与DMEM组的小鼠相比,rRC-HL组小鼠攻毒后的体重先下降后恢复正常,而其他攻毒组小鼠的体重迅速下降直至死亡.DMEM组和rRC-HL组的小鼠在整个试验周期内未见死亡;CVS-24组、GX074组和rRC-HL△G组的小鼠在攻毒后全部发病死亡,其中,CVS-24组小鼠出现死亡的时间最早(攻毒后第5 d),且在攻毒后第6 d全部死亡.通过观察小鼠脑组织的病理学变化,发现rRC-HL组小鼠脑组织的炎症反应最严重,其神经纤维紊乱,神经元细胞变形,细胞边缘不清晰,少量细胞固缩甚至消失,海马回神经胶质细胞浸润,嗜神经现象明显,血管套现象严重;rRC-HL△G组次之;GX074组和CVS-24组小鼠的脑组织病变轻微,可见少量嗜神经现象.[结论]rRC-HL△G、GX074和CVS-24等3株狂犬病毒强毒株的临床症状更明显,发病死亡率达100%,但与弱毒株相比,其炎症反应较轻微,说明狂犬病毒强毒株可能是通过抑制机体脑组织中促炎因子的产生而抑制炎症反应出现,阻断其固有免疫反应,不利于机体对病毒的清除.     

The tat gene of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 induces mesenchymal tumors in transgenic mice

Human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is a suspected causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia. One of the viral genes encodes a protein (tat) that not only results in transactivation of viral gene expression but may also regulate the expression of certain cellular genes that are important for cell growth. Transgenic mice that expressed the authentic tat protein under the control of the HTLV-1 long terminal repeat were generated, and cell types that are permissive for the viral promoter and the effects of the tat gene on these cells were studied. Three of eight founder mice with high levels of expression of the transgene in muscle were bred and then analyzed. All developed soft tissue tumors at multiple sites between 13 to 17 weeks of age. This phenotype was transmitted to nine of nine offspring that inherited the tat gene and were available for analysis. The remaining five founders expressed the transgene in the thymus, as well as in muscle. This second group of mice all exhibited extensive thymic depletion and growth retardation; in all of these mice, death occurred between 3 to 6 weeks of age before tumors became macroscopically visible. The tat gene under the control of the HTLV-1 regulatory region showed tissue-specific expression and the tat protein efficiently induced mesenchymal tumors. The data establish tat as an oncogenic protein and HTLV-1 as a transforming virus.     

Antibody Formation in Embryos

The production of agglutinins to Salmonella typhi was studied in the opossum embryo in the period immediately before and after the development of thymic and lymph node lymphoid tissue. Antibody was found only in embryos older than 8 days which corresponds to an 8- to 10-week human embryo in terms of organogenesis and is the earliest stage at which antibody production has been recorded.     

H9N2亚型猪流感病毒的分离、鉴定及其对小鼠的致病性研究

[目的]确定分离的H9N2亚型猪流感病毒对小鼠的致病性。[方法]利用此株猪流感病毒对SPF级6～8周龄、雌性BALB/c小鼠进行滴鼻感染,观察小鼠临床症状,感染后第2、6和14天分别剖杀小鼠,摘取各主要脏器后对其进行病理学检查。[结果]感染小鼠出现精神不振、体重下降、引起以弥漫性肺泡损伤为主的临床症状和病理变化。[结论]该研究成功进行了H9N2猪流感病毒对BALB/c小鼠的感染,可以作为感染模型进行H9N2猪流感病毒的发病机制、疫苗评价、药物筛选等研究。     

鸡新城疫病毒F基因部分片段克隆表达及其抗体制备

[目的]为进一步研究新城疫病毒的分子结构和基因疫苗奠定基础。[方法]用自行设计的l对引物,通过RT-PCR从接毒的SPF鸡胚的尿囊液中克隆了新城疫病毒F基因部分片段,将该基因片段插入含谷胱甘肽(GST)基因的质粒pGEX-4T-1,构建了重组质粒,对提取的融合蛋白进行亲和层析纯化和琼扩、ELISA及W estern-blot检测。[结果]通过克隆和PCR扩增获得新城疫病毒F基因的部分片段,大小为509 bp;对构建的重组质粒pGEX-4T-1-F509经诱导表达,获得分子大小约为44 000 bp的融合蛋白,其中F基因的部分片段大小约18 000 bp;经亲和层析,获得纯化GST-F509融合蛋白,进一步用该蛋白免疫小鼠,制备了鼠源抗鸡新城疫病毒F蛋白抗体。[结论]琼脂扩散试验、ELISA及W estern-blot检测表明,该融合蛋白中的F片段具有良好的抗原性。     

Activation of spontaneous murine leukemia virus-related antigen by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus

Persistent infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) virus activates a phenotypic expression of murine leukemia viruis-related antigen. NZB and (NZB x NZW)F(1) mice, which normally carry large amounts of Gross virus, and C57BL/6 and NZW mice, which normally carry little virus, were infected with LCM virus. All had Gross soluble antigen in their plasmas at 3 months of age, while noninfected matched controls of all strains did not. This effect was seen after infection with LCM virus that was tissue passed or plaque purified. Similarly, cultures of mouse-embryo fibroblasts produced Gross soluble antigen when infected with LCM virus, but noninfected cultures failed to do so.