Cellular transfer of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis employing suckling and adult Lewis rats.

Experiments designed to assess the importance of age of donors and recipients in cellular transfer of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) in inbred Lewis rats indicate: (a) that lymph node cells (LNC) of suckling rats sensitized to neuroantigen-adjuvant are just as effective in transfer of the disease to adult recipients as LNC from similarly sensitized adult donors, (b) that EAE can be transferred to suckling rats just as well as adults using lymphoid cells from either suckling or adult donors, and (c) while relatively low numbers of sensitized splenocytes from suckling or adult donors may transfer EAE, relatively large numbers of spleen cells do not. Based on additional EAE transfer experiments, in which recipients received combinations of sensitized LNC and normal splenocytes, no evidence could be secured that the spleen exerts a suppressive influence on cellular transfer of the disease in Lewis s may transfer EAE, relatively large numbers of spleen cells do not. Based on additional EAE transfer experiments, in which recipients received combinations of sensitized LNC and normal splenocytes, no evidence could be secured that the spleen exerts a suppressive influence on cellular transfer of the disease in Lewis s may transfer EAE, relatively large numbers of spleen cells do not. Based on additional EAE transfer experiments, in which recipients received combinations of sensitized LNC and normal splenocytes, no evidence could be secured that the spleen exerts a suppressive influence on cellular transfer of the disease in Lewis rats.