Thoracic duct lymphocytes

Stamper, H. B. and Woodruff, J. J. (1977). An in vitro model of lymphocyte homing. I. Characterization of the interaction between thoracic duct lymphocytes and specialized high-endotelial venules of lymph-nodes. J. Immunol. 119, 772-780. 

During the course of studies on lysosomes in rat thoracic duct lymphocytes (TDL), it was found that cathepsin D, a typical lysosomal enzyme in most cells and tissues, did not show the same distribution as the other lysosomal acid hydrolases after fractionation. In this paper, we report some of our findings concerning the unique properties of this rat TDL enzyme. 

The method of obtaining and handling rat thoracic duct lymphocytes (TDL) has been detailed previously (1). The preparation of homogenates of rat TDL, fractionation by differential and isopycnic centrifugation, and calculations were carried out according to procedures described by Bowers (1), Beaufay (2), and Leighton... 

Figure 1. Distribution of acid hydrolases and protein after isopycnic centrifugation in sucrose gradients of post-nuclear extracts of rat thoracic duct lymphocytes. The shaded block with a density below 1.10 has an arbitrary density interval of 0.1 and represents the position of the sample layer. The dotted line indicates the histogram obtained if enzyme activity or protein were uniformly distributed. Each histogram shows the average of results with standard deviation, and the number of experiments is given between parentheses.

Fractionation by differential centrifugation of a homogenate of rat thoracic duct lymphocytes lysed by hypotonic shock or by antibody and complement... 

Figure 2. Distribution of acid hydrolases after fractionation of rat thoracic duct lymphocytes by zonal centrifugation. Histograms were plotted according to Bowers (4). Reproduced with permission from the Journal of Cell Biology.

TDL, thoracic duct lymphocytes TGAL, poly-1- (Tyr, Glu) -poly-dl-Ala-poly-l-Lys (T, G)-Pro-L, poly-1-(Tyr, Glu)-poly-l-Pro-poly-l-Lys TNP, trinitrophenyl... 

Ahmad A, Wang CH, Bell RG. A role for IgE in intestinal immunity. Expression of rapid expulsion of Trichinella spiralis in rats transfused with IgE and thoracic duct lymphocytes. J Immunol 1991 146 3563-3570. 

The antilymphocyte globulin is obtained through the immunization of horses with human lymphoid cells or with fetal thymus cells. The antilymphocyte antibody destroys the T cells and impairs delayed hypersensitivity and cellular immunity without altering humoral antibody formation. The pattern of immunosuppression obtained with antilymphocyte globulin is identical to that brought about following thoracic duct drainage that depletes the numbers of small lymphocytes. 

The majority of the fluid that is filtered from the microcirculation into the interstitial space is carried out of the tissue via the lymphatic network. This unidirectional transport system originates with a set of blind channels in distal regions of the microcirculation. It carries a variety of interstitial molecules, proteins, metabolites, colloids, and even cells along channels deeply embedded in the tissue parenchyma toward a set of sequential lymph nodes and eventually back into the venous system via the right and left thoracic ducts. The lymphatics are the pathways for immune surveillance by the lymphocytes and thus, they are one of the important pathways of the immune system [Wei et al, 2003]. 

Antilymphocyte serum, ALS an immune serum with an opsonizing (see Opsonization) and cytotoxic effect on lymphocytes. It was used for immune suppression before Monoclonal antibodies (see) to specific classes of lymphocytes became widely available. The antibodies were raised in other species of animals by injection of human lymphocytes from blood, thymus, spleen or the thoracic duct. To avoid undesired side effects, the A.s. was purified and administered primarily as antilymphocyte globulin (ALG). Treatment with ALG affects mainly cellular immunity, particularly that provided by long-lived circulating lymphocytes. 

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