TRANSPLANTATION OF ADULT PERITONEAL CELLS INTO NEWBORN MICE

Transplantation oi adult peritoneal cells into newborn C3H mice increases the muriber of antibody-producing cells in the host spleen, as measured by the Jerne plaque test. Syngeneic peritoneal cells arc most effective, allogeneic cells arc less effective, and xenogeneic cells arc not effective. High doses of transplanted peritoneal cells (20 million) arc not quite as effective as lower doses of 5 or 10 million cells. The ability of peritoneal cells to stimulate antibody production in neonatal mice appears to be related to the functional activity of the donor cells. Peritoneal cells from very young donors (1 month)or very old (10-12 months) mice fail to enhance antibody production in newborn mice. The ability of jwritoneal cells to enhance immuno-logical maturation in neonatal mice may lie related to the degree of immunocompetencc of the donor animal. The increase in number of antibody-producing cells in the spleen of newborn mice after peritoneal cell transplantation docs not appear to be caused by the adoptive transfer of immunocompetent cells. The results are interpreted lo suggest that peritoneal cells, in particular peritoneal macrophages, provide the neonatal host with an anligen-irapping and/or -processing system. Other explanations, however, are not excluded at Ibis time.. © 1969 by The Williams and Wilkins Co.