Proliferative responses of snake lymphocytes to concanavalin A

Farag, Michael M.; Ridi, Rashika El

doi:10.1016/0145-305x(86)90177-1

Cited by 18 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 18 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…We then harvested cultures onto glass-fiber filters using a cell harvester (Combi Cell Harvester, Skatron Instruments, Sterling, VA) and quantified radioactive thymidine incorporation (counts per minute [cpm]) using a liquid scintillation counter. Lymphocyte proliferative responses were expressed as the mean cpm of replicate mitogen-stimulated cultures or as a stimulation index (SI), calculated as the ratio between the mean cpm of replicate mitogen-stimulated wells and the mean cpm of replicate nonstimulated (control) cultures (Farag and Ridi 1986;). …”

Section: In Vitro Lymphocyte Proliferationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complex Interplay of Body Condition, Life History, and Prevailing Environment Shapes Immune Defenses of Garter Snakes in the Wild

Palacios¹,

Cunnick²,

Bronikowski³

2013

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The immunocompetence "pace-of-life" hypothesis proposes that fast-living organisms should invest more in innate immune defenses and less in adaptive defenses compared to slow-living ones. We found some support for this hypothesis in two lifehistory ecotypes of the snake Thamnophis elegans; fast-living individuals show higher levels of innate immunity compared to slow-living ones. Here, we optimized a lymphocyte proliferation assay to assess the complementary prediction that slowliving snakes should in turn show stronger adaptive defenses. We also assessed the "environmental" hypothesis that predicts that slow-living snakes should show lower levels of immune defenses (both innate and adaptive) given the harsher environment they live in. Proliferation of B-and T-lymphocytes of free-living individuals was on average higher in fast-living than slow-living snakes, opposing the pace-of-life hypothesis and supporting the environmental hypothesis. Bactericidal capacity of plasma, an index of innate immunity, did not differ between fast-living and slow-living snakes in this study, contrasting the previously documented pattern and highlighting the importance of annual environmental conditions as determinants of immune profiles of free-living animals. Our results do not negate a link between life history and immunity, as indicated by ecotype-specific relationships between lymphocyte proliferation and body condition, but suggest more subtle nuances than those currently proposed.

show abstract

Section: In Vitro Lymphocyte Proliferationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Complex Interplay of Body Condition, Life History, and Prevailing Environment Shapes Immune Defenses of Garter Snakes in the Wild

Palacios¹,

Cunnick²,

Bronikowski³

2013

Physiological and Biochemical Zoology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…One-way MLR cultures (MLC) were performed using PBL of freshly caught snakes according to the procedures described in detail previously [9].…”

Section: One-way Mlrmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, lymphocytes can be distinguished into T and B subsets [l-41, and humoral response to particulate and soluble T-dependent and T-independent antigens is specific and vigorous [l, 3,4]. Cell-mediated immunity is mammal like, when considering cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity reaction to tuberculin and alloantigens [5], GVH reactions [6, 71, two-and one-way MLR [7-91 and mitogen responsiveness [10].With the view of contributing further information to the issue of MHC functional markers and cell-mediated immune reactivity in reptiles, this investigation was performed using the snake Psammophis sibilans during Spring and Autumn, seasons of the year when the snake immune system is perfectly developed [l-4, 9, 101.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional markers of the major histocompatibility gene complex of snakes

Farag

Ridi

1990

Eur J Immunol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In optimal seasonal conditions, outbred adult snakes Psammophis sibilans displayed the major immunological functions related, in mammals, to the presence of the major histocompatibility gene complex (MHC). Thus, out of 30 snake random pairs that exchanged skin transplants 72.9% rejected their allograft in an acute or subacute manner. Strongly significant proliferative response was recorded in 67.3% of 168 separate one-way mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR) cultures. Lymphocytes from 6/11 snakes immunized by skin allografting displayed, after secondary stimulation in vitro, cell-mediated lympholysis (CML) in vitro of 51Cr-labeled lymphoblasts derived from the donor snake. Finally, cytotoxic alloantibodies were readily generated after snake priming with skin allograft and blood cells. Snakes did not only exhibit the major cell- and humoral-mediated immune functions, but these functions appeared to be linked with the degree of MLR disparity. Thus, animals with different MLR rejected skin allografts acutely and produced cytotoxic effector cells. In contrast, MLR-identical animals rejected the skin allograft of their partner chronically and failed to produce killer cells in CML. This significant positive correlation between MLR disparity, graft rejection and CML suggests that the responsible antigens are encoded, as in other vertebrates, by the same genetic system, the MHC.

show abstract

“…For example, the seasonal involution of the thymus corresponds to reduced functional immunity in lizards (Hussein et al, 1979), snakes (El Ridi et al, 1981;Hussein et al, 1982), and turtles Zapata, 1985, 1986;Leceta et al, 1989). Reduced splenic white pulp also corresponds to reduced functional immunity in lizards (Hussein et al, 1979), snakes (Farag and El Ridi, 1986), and turtles .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Altered histology of the thymus and spleen in contaminant‐exposed juvenile American alligators

Rooney

Bermudez

Guillette

2003

Journal of Morphology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Morphological differences in spleen and thymus are closely related to functional immune differences. Hormonal regulation of the immune system has been demonstrated in reptilian splenic and thymic tissue. Spleens and thymus were obtained from juvenile alligators at two reference sites in Florida, USA: Orange Lake and a National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Woodruff, as well as from a contaminated lake, Lake Apopka. Lake Apopka has been extensively polluted with agricultural pesticides. Tissues were prepared for histological analysis to determine if previously detected endocrine abnormalities associated with contaminant exposure might also be reflected in morphological differences in splenic and thymic structures important for immunological response. Similar tissues were taken from captive-raised juvenile female alligators (3 years old) that were hatched from eggs collected on Lake Woodruff and Lake Apopka. Differences in thymic ratios (medulla/cortex) were found among alligators collected from the two lakes (P = 0.0051). Alligators from Lake Apopka had smaller thymic ratios than animals from either reference lake. Males from Lake Woodruff had significantly smaller lymphocyte sheaths in the spleen than females (P = 0.0009), indicative of a normal sexual dimorphism. Lymphocyte sheath width differed among females obtained from the three lakes, with females from Lake Apopka having the smallest sheath width and those from Orange Lake having the largest. Malpighian body area was largest in alligators from Orange Lake, intermediate in Lake Woodruff, and smallest in Lake Apopka. In contrast to that observed for wild-caught animals, no difference was found in the thymic medulla/cortex ratio of captive-raised female alligators (P = 0.378). Captive-raised female alligators from Lake Apopka and Lake Woodruff displayed lake-associated differences in lymphocyte sheath width as observed in wild animals; Lake Apopka alligators had smaller lymphocyte sheath width compared to Woodruff alligators (P = 0.0396). In contrast to wild-caught animals, area of the Malpighian bodies did not differ by lake in the captive-raised female alligators (P = 0.066). The enlarged thymic cortex suggests a change in T-lymphocyte maturation within the thymus of alligators from a contaminated environment, Lake Apopka. The results point to alterations in the histology of the thymus and spleen. Further studies are required to examine the functional significance of these observations.

show abstract

Proliferative responses of snake lymphocytes to concanavalin A

Cited by 18 publications

References 18 publications

Complex Interplay of Body Condition, Life History, and Prevailing Environment Shapes Immune Defenses of Garter Snakes in the Wild

Complex Interplay of Body Condition, Life History, and Prevailing Environment Shapes Immune Defenses of Garter Snakes in the Wild

Functional markers of the major histocompatibility gene complex of snakes

Altered histology of the thymus and spleen in contaminant‐exposed juvenile American alligators

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About