Comparative sperm chromatin structure assay measurements on epiillumination and orthogonal axes flow cytometers.

The sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) measures the susceptibility of sperm nuclear DNA to acid-induced denaturation in situ, and was developed on two Ortho flow cytometers, an FC200 [Becton Dickinson Immunocytometry Systems (BDIS), Westwood, MA] and a Cytofluorograf 30 (BDIS), both having orthogonal axes of fluorochrome excitation, emission, and sample flow. Sperm cells are first treated with a pH 1.4 buffer to denature DNA in situ and then stained with the metachromatic dye acridine orange (AO). The metachromatic fluorescence measured reflects relative amounts of denatured (red fluorescence) and native (green fluorescence) DNA present per cell. The extent of DNA denaturation is quantified by the calculated parameter alpha t [alpha t = red/(red+green) fluorescence]. Alpha t variables important for correlations with fertility and toxicant-induced chromatin damage include mean (X alpha t), standard deviation (SD alpha t), and cells outside the main population (COMP alpha t). Mean green fluorescence intensity is an important measure for DNA content and/or degree of sperm chromatin condensation. This study showed that the SCSA can be successfully run on two epiillumination-type instruments, an Ortho ICP22A (BDIS, San Jose, CA) and Skatron Argus (Tranby, Norway), and two additional orthogonal axes instruments, a Becton Dickinson FACScan (BDIS) and a Coulter Elite (Coulter Corporation, Hialeah, FL). Epiillumination instruments produced a different fluorescence distribution than orthogonal instruments, but the resulting alpha t values showed strong conformity and interpretation of results was the same. SCSA values obtained on the Coulter Elite were most similar to the Cytofluorograf 30; the FACScan green fluorescence distribution was narrower and allowed resolution of cell doublets.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Total lymphoid irradiation leads to transient depletion of the mouse thymic medulla and persistent abnormalities among medullary stromal cells.

Mice given multiple doses of sublethal irradiation to both the thymus and the peripheral lymphoid tissues showed major transient, and some persistent disruptions in general thymic architecture and in thymic stromal components. At 2 wk after total lymphoid irradiation (TLI), the thymus lacked identifiable medullary regions by immunohistochemical analyses. Medullary stromal cells expression MHC Ag or a medullary epithelial cell Ag, as well as medullary macrophages, were undetectable. Instead, the processes of cortical epithelial cells were observed throughout the entire thymus. Strikingly, thymocyte subsets with mature phenotypes (CD4+CD8- and CD4-CD8+) were present in the apparent absence of a medulla. This early, gross effect was rapidly reversed such that by 1 to 2 mo after TLI, medullary areas with MHC Ag-positive cells were evident. However, abnormalities in a subset of medullary stromal cells appeared to be more persistent. Medullary epithelial cells, identified by the MD1 mAb, were greatly reduced in number and abnormally organized for at least 4 mo after TLI. In addition, macrophages containing endogenous peroxidase activity, normally abundant in medullary regions, were undetectable at all times examined after TLI. Therefore, this irradiation regimen induced both transient and long term effects in the thymus, primarily in medullary regions. These results suggest that TLI may be used as an experimental tool for studying the impact of selective depletion of medullary stromal cells on the development of specific T cell functions.

Dissection of the mechanisms of immune injury in rheumatoid arthritis, using total lymphoid irradiation.

Eleven patients with intractable rheumatoid arthritis were treated with total lymphoid irradiation. After radiotherapy, there was a marked decrease in the number and function of peripheral blood helper/inducer (Leu-3+) T lymphocytes, in the spontaneous secretion of interleukin-1 by synovial biopsy specimens, and in the activity of the joint disease. In contrast, levels of IgM, IgA, and IgG rheumatoid factors and C3 concentrations in blood and synovial fluid samples did not change significantly after therapy with total lymphoid irradiation.

Cloned natural suppressor cell lines derived from the spleens of neonatal mice.

The establishment and characterization of cloned natural suppressor (NS) cell lines derived from the spleen of neonatal BALB/c mice are described. Cloned NS cells suppress the mixed leukocyte reaction (MLR) between normal adult responder and stimulator spleen cells with a 50-fold greater efficiency than fresh neonatal cells. Suppressive activity of both cells did not depend on the haplotype of the responder or stimulator cells, and was radioresistant. Cloned NS cells did not inhibit the uptake of [3H]thymidine by HT-2 cells proliferating in response to interleukin 2 (IL-2), nor the in vitro secretion of IL-1 by macrophages in response to lipopolysaccharide. Several experiments indicated that absorption of IL-2 could not explain the suppression of the MLR by the NS cells in the range of cell numbers tested. The results suggest that NS cells may suppress the MLR by interfering with early stages of T cell activation. The cell surface of a cloned NS cell line was examined using immunofluorescence staining, and was strongly positive for the Thy-1.2, Ly-5, and asialo-GM1 antigens. However, Lyt-1, Lyt-2, surface Ig, IE, MAC-1, and Fc and C3 receptor markers were not detected. In addition, NS cells showed no cytolytic activity against the YAC-1 target cell line. On the basis of these findings, cloned NS cells do not appear to be mature T cells, B cells, macrophages, or NK cells. The development of cloned NS cells may be useful in determining the identity and mechanism of action of nonspecific suppressor cells in the neonatal spleen, and their role in neonatal tolerance and maternal-fetal relationships.

Macrophage cell cycling: influence on Fc receptors and antibody-dependent phagocytosis.

The influence of cell cycling on the density and binding properties of IgG2a Fc receptors and their associated antibody-dependent phagocytic activity was investigated with the P388D1 murine macrophage cell line. Unseparated macrophages and subpopulations of elutriated macrophages, enriched for cells in G1, S, and G2 + M phases were compared to detect possible differences in IgG2a-dependent phagocytosis. Suspensions of G2 + M phase cells were appreciably enhanced in phagocytic activity over G1-phase cells, which were less phagocytic than unseparated macrophage populations. An analysis of the binding of 125I-IgG2a myeloma protein disclosed that the IgG2a Fc receptor avidity remained essentially unchanged during cell cycle traverse, whereas the number of IgG2a Fc receptors more than doubled as cells cycled from G1 to G2 + M (1.5 X 10(5) vs 3.4 X 10(5) receptors per cell). With their increased size relative to G1 cells, and the resultant increase in receptor number, G2 phase cells should have more productive collisions with the antibody-coated target cells and greater phagocytic capacity.

Isolation and characterization of cell cycle-enriched subpopulations of a murine macrophage cell line by centrifugal elutriation.

The cell cycle of the P388D 1 murine macrophage line was delineated and suspensions of exponentially growing cells were separated by centrifugal elutriation into subpopulations enriched in the various phases of the cycle. Analysis of both growth and labelled mitoses curves disclosed that the doubling and cell-cycle times were essentially identical (18.4 and 18.3 h), indicating that all cells were in cycle. In addition, G1 + 1/2M was 4.3 h, whereas S phase and G2 + 1/2M lasted about 12 and 1.5 h. The most homogeneous subpopulations of phase-enriched cells obtained by elutriation were cells in G1 and S, where purities (estimated by both labelling indices and analyses of DNA histograms obtained by flow cytometry) exceeded 80%. Isolation of G2 + M-phase cells was not as efficient, although the purity of these subpopulations was consistently greater than of 50%, an approx. 10-fold enrichment over unseparated suspensions of cells. Comparison of IgG2a-Fc-receptor-mediated phagocytic activities among the phase-enriched subpopulations showed that cells in G2 had appreciably enhanced activity.