The specificity of T-cell helper factor in man

Supernates of human T cells stimulated with TT antigen contain a factor that induces mitogenesis and immunoglobulin synthesis in autologous as well as allogeneic B cells. A fraction of the IgG produced has specificity against TT. The T-cell-derived LMF-TT eluted after albumin on Sephadex G 200 and did not contain immunoglobulin heavy chain determinants. LMF-TT was active on B cells from TT immune as well as TT- nonimmune individuals but in the latter instance the IgG secreted had no specificity against TT. B cells incubated with LMF-TT in the presence of a second antigen (DT) made IgG with specifity to that antigen provided the B-cell donor was immune to that second antigen. LMF-TT-containing supernates were depleted of TT antigen by Sephadex G 200 chromatography followed by passage over anti-TT immunosorbent columns. The antigen-free supernates were able to induce mitogenesis and IgG synthesis in B cells but the IgG produced failed to exhibit specificity against TT unless the TT antigen was readded to the B-cell cultures. The optimal concentration of LMF-TT (50 percent) inducing B-cell mitogenesis was different from the optimal concentration (20 percent) causing IgG synthesis by B cells. At low LMF concentrations (less than or equal 10 percent) addition of a second antigen to which the cell donor was immune caused an increase in the degree of B-cell mitogenesis. Submitogenic concentrations of LMF-TT (less than or equal to 5 percent) were still capable of inducingimmunoglobulin synthesis in B cells At these low concentrations of LMF-TT the proportion of anti-TT IgG over total IgG increased sharply. B cells from TT immune donors were separated on TT immunosorbent columns. Cells that bound to the column were more sensitive to the mitogenic and IgG synthetic effects of LMF-TT than unfractionated B cells. Thus, LMF is a nonspecific human T-cell helper factor which behaves like a polyclonal B-cell activator. However, in the presence of specific antigen (TT) the antigen-specific B cell is preferentially triggered by LMF. The experimental design of the present study does not rule out the additional presence of an antigen-specific helper factor in the supernates of TT-stimulated human T cells.     

Prolonged treatment of genetically obese mice with conjugated linoleic acid improves glucose tolerance and lowers plasma insulin concentration: possible involvement of PPAR activation

Background

Studies in rodents and some studies in humans have shown that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), especially its trans -10, cis -12 isomer, reduces body fat content. However, some but not all studies in mice and humans (though none in rats) have found that CLA promotes insulin resistance. The molecular mechanisms responsible for these effects are unclear, and there are conflicting reports on the effects of CLA on peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) activation and expression. We have conducted three experiments with CLA in obese mice over three weeks, and one over eleven weeks. We have also investigated the effects of CLA isomers in PPARγ and PPARα reporter gene assays.

Results

Inclusion of CLA or CLA enriched with its trans -10, cis -12 isomer in the diet of female genetically obese (lep ^ob /lep ^ob ) mice for up to eleven weeks reduced body weight gain and white fat pad weight. After two weeks, in contrast to beneficial effects obtained with the PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone, CLA or CLA enriched with its trans -10, cis -12 isomer raised fasting blood glucose and plasma insulin concentrations, and exacerbated glucose tolerance. After 10 weeks, however, CLA had beneficial effects on glucose and insulin concentrations. At this time, CLA had no effect on the plasma TNFα concentration, but it markedly reduced the plasma adiponectin concentration. CLA and CLA enriched with either isomer raised the plasma triglyceride concentration during the first three weeks, but not subsequently. CLA enriched with its trans -10, cis -12 isomer, but not with its cis -9, trans -11 isomer, stimulated PPARγ-mediated reporter gene activity; both isomers stimulated PPARα-mediated reporter gene activity.

Conclusions

CLA initially decreased but subsequently increased insulin sensitivity in lep ^ob /lep ^ob mice. Activation of both PPARγ and PPARα may contribute to the improvement in insulin sensitivity. In the short term, however, another mechanism, activated primarily by trans -10, cis -12-CLA, which probably leads to reduced adipocyte number and consequently reduced plasma adiponectin concentration, may decrease insulin sensitivity.