Regional oral tolerance in transgenic 2C mice.

BACKGROUND: Antigen injected subcutaneously (SQ) results in a strong systemic immune response, whereas antigen infused orally or by the portal vein tends to induce tolerance. Nontransgenic C57BL/6J (H-2(b)), or B6, mice and transgenic 2C mice (that express a cytotoxic T cell receptor against major histocompatibility complex Class I L(d)) were used to investigate the regional and systemic responses to oral antigen.

METHODS: B6 (H-2(b)) and 2C (H-2(b)) mice were given either saline or BALB/cByJ (H-2(d), L(d+)) (BALB/c) spleen cells (SCs) (25 x 10(6)) by oral gavage (PO) on day 0. Injection of 10 x 10(6) BALB/c SCs SQ was performed after 7 days, followed by a footpad injection of 10 x 10(6) BALB/c SC on day 14. Specific footpad swelling was measured 24 hours later by means of a micrometer. Mixed lymphocyte culture was performed on splenic and mesenteric lymph node (MLN) lymphocytes. The percentage of splenic and MLN CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was quantitated by fluorescence activated cell sorter. Cytokine messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein was measured by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS: Whereas B6 mice were shown to have specifically decreased responsiveness to Balb/c cells in vivo and in vitro after oral Balb/c, 2C mice did not demonstrate any downregulation in delayed-type hypersensitivity responsiveness or splenic lymphocyte proliferation. However, MLN lymphocytes from 2C mice did demonstrate decreased proliferation against Balb/c after oral Balb/c gavage (P < .01). Subset percentages of naïve B6 (n=8) spleen and MLN lymphocytes were 50% to 52% for CD4+ and 46% to 47% for CD8+ T cells. These percentages were unchanged in B6 mice after PO Balb/c. Subset percentages of naïve 2C (n=6) spleen and MLN lymphocytes were 2% to 5% for CD4+ and 61% to 64% for CD8+ T cells. After PO Balb/c, MLN CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were unchanged, whereas splenic CD8+ T cells decreased to 44% to 48% and CD4+ T cells increased to 32% to 33% (P < .05, P < .05 vs naïve 2C spleen). After PO Balb/c, inflammatory interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon gamma mRNA and protein were increased in 2C spleen cells, whereas they were decreased in 2C MLN. Anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4 and IL-10 mRNA and protein were increased in 2C MLN after PO Balb/c, whereas they were not detectable in 2C spleen cells.

CONCLUSIONS: Systemic oral tolerance can be induced in B6 mice, whereas only regional mesenteric lymph node tolerance develops in transgenic 2C mice. The inability to induce systemic oral tolerance in 2C mice appears to be due to a significant increase in peripheral (splenic) CD4+ T cells.