InVivoMAb anti-rat CD86 (B7-2)

Mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) have been prepared against rat T cell blasts. One MAb called MRC OX-40 recognized an antigen that differed from any previously described in that its expression was detected only on T blasts that also expressed the CD4 antigen. The OX-40 MAb did not detect an activation determinant of CD2 or CD4 molecules but recognized a distinct chain of mol. wt 50,000. The OX-40 MAb augmented T cell proliferation at late stages on in vitro responses. Other MAbs without obvious counterparts in other species were MRC OX-48 and MRC OX-49,50 which recognized cell surface molecules of mol. wts of about 95,000 and 90,000, respectively. The OX-48 antigen was not expressed on resting lymphocytes but was found on a subset of T and B blasts and also on other leucocytes. The OX-49,50 antigen was found on most haemopoietic cells but was expressed at greatly increased levels after lymphocyte activation and this was also the case for MRC OX-47 antigen which is of unknown Mr. The MRC OX-39 MAb was found to bind the rat IL-2 receptor; expression of this antigen was detected on thymic dendritic cells as well as on T blasts. The phenotype of rat T blasts compared to resting cells was also examined and changes in expression of L-CA, Thy-1, OX-2 and CD8 antigens were seen in addition to the changes found with the above MAbs.

Rat thymic dendritic cells have been isolated by collagenase digestion, separation of the low-density cell fraction by centrifugation on metrizamide, and differential adherence. The resulting dendritic cell preparation had a purity of > 90%, and has been analysed by flow cytometry (FCM) using a large panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAb). Dendritic cells expressed major histocompatibility (MHC) class I and class II molecules, the leucocyte common antigen CD45, the rat leucocyte antigen OX44, the rat macrophage marker ED1, and the adhesion molecules Mac-1, LFA-1 and ICAM-1. They were negative for the T- and B-cell-specific forms of CD45, CD45R and B220, and the B-cell marker OX12. Concerning T-cell marker expression, they were negative for T-cell receptor (TcR) and OX40, but they expressed CD2, CD4 and CD8, and interestingly, 50% of DC were CD5+, 50% expressed the alpha-chain of interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R), and 80% were positive for the T-cell activation antigen recognized by the mAb OX48. Moreover, 60% of DC expressed high levels of Thy-1, whereas 40% displayed intermediate levels of this T-cell marker.

Immune and nervous systems play key roles in periapical pathosis; however, their spatial associations, which may be a prerequisite for paracrine interactions in the progression of periapical lesions, remain to be examined. In this study we examined the distribution and frequency of spatial associations between major histocompatibility complex class II molecule-expressing antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and protein gene product 9.5-immunoreactive nerve fibers in experimentally induced rat periapical lesions using double-immunofluorescence staining and confocal laser scanning microscopy. When active lesion expansion started, macrophage-like APCs frequently associated with nerve fibers around the apex. When the lesions were starting to stabilize, however, close associations between APCs with dendritic morphology and nerve fibers were found mostly in the periphery of lesions. CD86+ mature dendritic cells were also observed in this area. These findings suggest that functional interactions between APCs and nerve fibers may play some roles in the development of self-defense reactions in periapical lesions.

The monoclonal antibody (mAb) OX48 recognizes a 70,000 MW cell-surface protein present in a small percentage of activated rat T cells and in CD8+ rat x BW5147 interleukin-2 (IL-2)-dependent T-cell hybridomas, but not in resting spleen cells or in IL-2-independent T-cell hybrids. OX48 antibody added simultaneously with concanavalin A (Con A) to resting spleen cells inhibits the cell proliferation and reduces the IL-2 production. However, addition of IL-2 does not restore the mitogenic response. Growth of rat blast T cells or IL-2-dependent hybrids is not affected by the OX48 antibody. There is a close correlation between the expression of high-affinity IL-2 receptors (IL-2R) and the OX48 antigen in T-cell hybridomas. In spite of this striking correlation, OX48 mAb does not inhibit the binding of 125I-IL-2 to the IL-2-dependent hybrids, and is unable to immunoprecipitate any of the proteins chemically cross-linked to 125I-IL-2. Therefore, the OX48 molecule represents a new rat activation antigen, undefined in other species, and probably involved in the early steps of T-cell activation.