© 1975 by The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
Development of Immunodeficiency of Pituitary Dwarf Mice
Departments of Microbiology and Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin and Milwaukee Blood Cente Inc. Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53233
Autosomal recessive pituitary dwarf mutants of the Snell-Bagg and Ames mouse strains develop severe immunodeficiency of the thymus-dependent (T cell) system which frequently leads to a fatal wasting syndrome. The ontogenetic development of the T cell system is already subnormal soon after birth as evidenced by diminished responsiveness of thymus and spleen cells to phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A. The immunodeficiency of the dwarf mouse is a consequence of defective pituitary influences which will cause (i) an inadequate production of immunocompetent cells due to a central developmental defect primarily affecting the thymus, and (ii) the inability of immunocompetent cells to undergo a rapid and efficient antigen-induced proliferation and differentiation into antibody-forming cells. The lack of epinephrine-induced stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity in dwarf spleen and thymus cells suggests that the impaired lymphoid cell proliferation in dwarf mice may be due to inadequate stimulation of cyclic AMP production.