Nagelkerken L, Hertogh-Huijbregts A, Dobber R, Dräger A
Department of Immunology, Institute for Experimental Gerontology TNO, Rijswijk, The Netherlands.
Eur J Immunol. 1991 Feb;21(2):273-81. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830210206.
The ability of CD4+ T cells from CBA/Rij mice to produce interleukin (IL) 2 after stimulation with anti-CD3, concanavalin A, or the combination of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin declines during aging. This phenomenon was accompanied by an increased production of IL 4 and interferon-gamma. These age-related changes in lymphokine production correlated with the decrease in the percentage of CD45RBhi CD4+ T cells from about 80% in 2-month-old to about 40% in 27-month-old mice. This phenotypic shift was responsible for the decline in IL 2 production, because in young and in old mice CD45RBhi CD4+ T cells were more potent IL 2 producers than CD45RBlo cells. Moreover, old CD45RBhi CD4+ T cells produced less IL 2 than their young counterparts. Proliferative responses by T cells from old mice were lower than those of young mice, regardless whether the cultures were supplemented with IL 2, IL 4 or both lymphokines. As far as CD4+ T cells were concerned, this hyporesponsiveness was found in the CD45RBlo as well as in the CD45RBhi CD4+ T cell population.
CBA/Rij小鼠的CD4+ T细胞在用抗CD3、刀豆球蛋白A或佛波醇12-肉豆蔻酸酯13-乙酸酯与离子霉素联合刺激后产生白细胞介素（IL）-2的能力在衰老过程中下降。这一现象伴随着IL-4和干扰素-γ产生的增加。这些与年龄相关的淋巴因子产生变化与CD45RBhi CD4+ T细胞百分比的下降相关，从2月龄小鼠的约80%降至27月龄小鼠的约40%。这种表型转变是IL-2产生下降的原因，因为在年轻和老年小鼠中，CD45RBhi CD4+ T细胞比CD45RBlo细胞是更强的IL-2产生者。此外，老年CD45RBhi CD4+ T细胞产生的IL-2比年轻的同类细胞少。老年小鼠T细胞的增殖反应低于年轻小鼠，无论培养物中是否添加IL-2、IL-4或两种淋巴因子。就CD4+ T细胞而言，这种低反应性在CD45RBlo以及CD45RBhi CD4+ T细胞群体中均有发现。
