Suppression of efferent limb of testicular autoimmune response by a regulatory CD4+ T cell line in mice

Abstract

SUMMARYA murine Tcell line (designated as CTs) as a mediator of suppression of exfjerimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) was established. The method of establishment oIC.Ts cell line was preparing spleen eeils from C3H/He mice hyperimtnunized with testicular germ eelts (TC) and the repeated selection of the lymphocytes in vitro by stimulation with mouse testicular antigens (mTA). The CTs cells were Thy 1.2 • .surface immunoglobulin .CD3' .CD4' andCD8 . Thecellscould suppress the induction of EAO when transferred into actively EAO-sensitizcd mice only al the pre-clinical stage of the disease (efferent limb of the autoimmune response). The transferred CTs cells significantly inhibited both cellular and humoral immune responses to TC in the recipients in an antigen-specific manner. The disease suppression by CTs cells was found to depend upon iheir ceil number, and their suppressive activity was markedly augmented by in vitro stimulation with mTA.

The Immunophysiology of Male Reproduction

“…[951][952][953] Studies on pancreatic islet cell allografts in the mouse testis indicate that activated or memory T cells directed against graft antigens are destroyed when they enter the testis environment and that graft antigen-specific Treg cells are preferentially produced. 954,955 Isolation of a CD4 + T cell line that was able to downregulate the development of adoptive transfer of autoimmune orchitis in mice has been reported, 956 and a crucial role for Treg cells in controlling the development of orchitis in response to vasectomy also has been demonstrated in mice. 957 A substantial increase in evidence linking Treg cells and other regulatory T cell subsets to the control of testicular immune responses can be anticipated in the near future.…”

Generation and characterization of a continuous line of CD8+ suppressively regulatory T lymphocytes which down-regulates experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) in mice

“…Most recently, we developed another model for the suppression of this type of EAO by a CD4+ suppressively regulatory cell line (designated CTs) [12]. The CTs line was derived from C3H/He mice that were injected with TC subcutaneously 10 times at 2-week intervals.…”

“…Suppressive effects mediated by antigen-specific T cells have been documented in mice in several autoimmune disease models [8][9][10][11][12][27][28][29]. It is therefore of interest to characterize further suppressor cells that may be involved in the control of autoimmune phenomena in this species.…”

“…Ts cells have been postulated to play a role in prevention of spontaneous and induced autoimmunity [10][11][12][13][14][15]. Remission of established disease in some organ-specific autoimmunity models may be mediated by Ts cells.…”

Chronological changes of delayed-type hypersensitivity in mice immunised with testicular germ cells alone

“…We previously established that two subcutaneous injections of viable syngeneic testicular germ cells (TGC) can induce CD4+ T‐cell‐dependent EAO in both A/J and C3H/He mice at a very high incidence (Itoh et al ., ). Also, adoptive transfer experiments revealed that CD4+ T lymphocytes, but not B cells or immune serum, are crucial for the TGC‐induced EAO (Itoh et al ., , , ). These studies demonstrated that cellular rather than humoral immunity against TGC antigens is critical for EAO induction (Itoh et al ., ; Naito & Itoh, ; Tokunaga et al ., ).…”