Decline of natural killer cell activity in sublethally irradiated mice
- State Univ. of New York, Buffalo
Spleen cells of (C57BL/6 x C3H/He)F/sub 1/ mice were assayed for natural killer (NK) cell activity against YAC-1 and FBL-3 lymphoma targets at several intervals after total-body exposure to a high sublethal dose of /sup 137/Cs or /sup 60/Co ..gamma.. rays. NK cell activity did not decline for the first 12 days but decreased sharply thereafter and remained low until day 24. The recovery of splenic NK cell activity was delayed. Beginning on day 28, the activity was slowly increased, reaching near-normal levels (80% of controls) 41 to 59 days after irradiation. Suppressor cells detectable during the period of lowest NK cell activity, i.e., on days 17 and 19, may have been responsible for the delayed and slow recovery. These studies indicated that (a) mature effectors of natural cytotoxicity are relatively radioresistant renewable cells with a lifespan of about 2 weeks whose progenitors are radiosensitive cells and (b) the kinetics of decline and especially of recovery of NK cell activity may be influenced by suppressor cells. Should NK cell activity confer resistance to autochthonous lymphomas in vivo, it may be a significant consideration for strategies of tumor therapy by cytotoxic agents that reconstitution of the NK cell pool is a slow process and that suppressor cell function must be overcome for full recovery.
- OSTI ID:
- 6698833
- Journal Information:
- J. Natl. Cancer Inst.; (United States), Vol. 61:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BIOLOGICAL RECOVERY
TIME DEPENDENCE
SPLEEN CELLS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CESIUM 137
COBALT 60
GAMMA RADIATION
MICE
SUBLETHAL IRRADIATION
WHOLE-BODY IRRADIATION
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ANIMAL CELLS
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CESIUM ISOTOPES
COBALT ISOTOPES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EXTERNAL IRRADIATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRRADIATION
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
RECOVERY
RODENTS
SOMATIC CELLS
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
560152* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Animals
551001 - Physiological Systems- Tracer Techniques