Immune responses in newly developed short-lived SAM mice. I: Age-associated early decline in immune activities of cultured spleen cells

• Published in: Immunology 1987-11, Vol.62 (3), p.419-423
• Main Authors: HOSOKAWA, T, HOSONO, M, HIGUCHI, K, AOIKE, A, KAWAI, K, TAKEDA, T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aging - immunology; Animals; Antibody Formation; Applied sciences; Cells, Cultured; Exact sciences and technology; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Mice; Mice, Inbred AKR; Mice, Inbred C3H; Mice, Inbred Strains - immunology; Other techniques and industries; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - immunology
• ISSN: 0019-2805; 1365-2567

Using a cell culture system, age-associated changes in immune activities were investigated in newly developed, short-lived mouse strains. These SAM-P strains of mice (H-2k), which have a remarkably short life span (around 9 months) under conventional breeding conditions, showed an age-associated early decline in several immune functions, as compared to ordinary strains of AKR/J (H-2k) and C3H/He (H-2k) mice. Their antibody-forming capacity to T-independent antigen, DNP-Ficoll, and natural killer (NK) cell activity showed a markedly early onset of regression and a sharp decline from the level of control mice at 2 months of age. SAM-P strains of mice have a profound defect in antibody response to a T-dependent (TD) antigen, such as sheep red blood cells (SRBC), thus there was only a feeble antibody response to SRBC as early as the age of 2 months, and a negligible response at a later age. In contrast, the allo-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response of the mice was as high as that of control mouse strains at 2 months of age and declined little until at least 6 months of age. The early age-related functional decline in the immune system of SAM-P mice suggests that these new inbred strains are appropriate models for investigating the age-related appearance of immune dysfunctions.