The effects of prostaglandins on cAMP levels in subpopulations of mouse lymphocytes.

The effects of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on cyclic AMP levels in various mouse lymphocyte populations were studied. It was found that spleen cells and thymocytes respond comparably to PGE2. Cortisone treatment abolished the responsiveness in thymocytes. Fractionation of splenic lymphocytes on glass wool columns into subpopulations of bone-marrow derived (B) cells or thymus-derived (T) cells showed that both B and T splenic lymphocytes can respond to PGE2. Lymphocytes or spleen cells cultured for varying periods (24--96 hrs) lose their sensitivity to PGE2 stimulation of cAMP. This "refractoriness" to PGE2 is only partially reversed by incubating lymphocytes with phosphodiesterase inhibitors.