Beta glucuronidase in macrophages of skin-allografted mice--I. Decrease in beta glucuronidase in allografted mouse peritoneal cells in the presence of donor cells.

Abstract Mouse peritoneal cells collected 12 days after a skin allograft are incubated with donor-strain cells. This results in a striking decrease in their β glucuronidase activity. The phenomenon takes place in macrophages and is observed with cells obtained with or without thioglycollate intraperitoneal injection prior to cell collection. No or little alteration of acid phosphatase is observed in the same macrophages. This phenomenon is intense only when using cells bearing donor H-2 antigens as stimulator cells. However, stimulation of recipient cells by other allogenic cells with an H-2 differing both from donor and recipient induces a small degree of enzyme decrease. Treatment of peritoneal cells with anti-θ serum before adding donor cells strongly depresses the phenomenon. The observed macrophage modifications might thus result from the release of a lymphokine by recipient lymphocytes that may be found in the peritoneal cell population. Repeated intraperitoneal injections of donor cells to the allografted mouse induces a similar enzyme modification in peritoneal macrophages, but to a lesser degree.