Abstract
Calf thymosin was injected subcutaneously in daily doses of 0.1 to 3 mg for 12 to 15 days into adult thymectomized, irradiated bone marrow reconstituted (THXB) mice. Thymosin partially restored the ability of the T-cell depleted host to develop delayed type hypersensitivity to sheep erythrocytes. The degree of restoration varied from 50 t0 75% of control values. Thymosin treatment of normal mice potentiated the footpad responsiveness to sheep erythrocytes by as much as 50% over that of untreated controls. The optimum dosage of thymosin seemed to be in the 200 to 500 μg range, and multiple injections were essential for a significant response. Twelve daily injections of 100 to 500 μg of thymosin restored T cell reactivity to the THXB mouse, but the responsiveness decayed relatively rapidly once the treatment was stopped. The restoration of immune responsiveness to sheep erythrocytes in T-cell depleted mice provides a convenient means of demonstrating activity in thymosin preparations in vivo.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 564-568 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Infection and immunity |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1976 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Parasitology
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases