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Effects of Gold Sodium Thiomalate on Murine Spleen Cells
The effects of gold sodium thiomalate (GST) on murine spleen cells were investigated using in vitro mitogen blastogenesis techniques. Addition of GST to intact spleen cells resulted in a decreased blastogenic response to the T cell mitogen, concanavalin A (Con A). Thymidine uptake of spleen cells depleted of macrophages and cultured with Con A and GST demonstrated biphasic effects. At 2.5 pg Con A/ml, blastogenesis of macrophage depleted spleen cells was inhibited to a lesser degree than intact spleen cells; whereas, at 0.5 pg Con A/ml, the macrophage depleted spleen cells were inhibited to a greater degree than the intact spleen cells. Addition of GST at intervals ranging from 0 to 48 hours indicated that inhibition occurred within 36 hours following mitogen stimulation. These results suggest that GST inhibits early events of lymphocyte activation by direct interaction with lymphocytes.
Internal Radiolabeling of Mycobacterial Antigens and Use in Macrophage Processing Studies
Mycobacter avium complex serovars 4 and 20 were cultured in the presence of [3H] fucose, [3H]-methionine, and [3H]-mannose to specifically radiolabel the oligosaccharide of the glycopeptidolipid (GPL) antigens. Distribution of radioactivity in lipid was determined by thin-layer chromatographic methods. Examination of acid hydrolysates from radiolabeled antigens revealed that [3H]-methionine incorporated into methylated sugars in polar and apolar GPL components, whereas [3H]-mannose incorporated exclusively into the oligosaccharide of polar GPL antigens. Least incorporation of radiolabel into antigens was observed with [3H]-fucose. Use of radiolabeled serovar 4 antigens in macrophage uptake studies revealed maximum uptake to be slightly above 250 gg/ 3.2 x 105 cells. Timed experiments demonstrated that GPL antigens were relatively inert to degradation by resident peritoneal macrophages.
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