Milhaud G, Labat M L, Parant M, Damais C, Chedid L
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1977 Jan;74(1):339-42. doi: 10.1073/pnas.74.1.339.
Congenital osteopetrosis in the mutant rat "op" is accompanied by early atrophy of the thymus gland. The response of thymocytes to concanavalin A and phytohemagglutinin P was greatly diminished at age 28 days, even before pronounced thymic atrophy could be detected. The response of spleen cells to mitogens that stimulate thymus-derived (T) and bone-marrow-derived (B) cells was diminished as early as 35 days of age. A single injection of a suspension of normal bone marrow, which cures osteopetrosis, increased thymus weight and restored the normal responses of both thymus and spleen to various mitogens. These results add further support to the hypothesis that the thymus is involved in the pathogenesis of osteopetrosis.
突变大鼠“op”中的先天性骨硬化症伴有胸腺早期萎缩。在28日龄时，胸腺细胞对刀豆球蛋白A和植物血凝素P的反应就已大幅减弱，甚至在明显的胸腺萎缩被检测到之前。脾细胞对刺激胸腺来源（T）细胞和骨髓来源（B）细胞的有丝分裂原的反应早在35日龄时就已减弱。单次注射可治愈骨硬化症的正常骨髓悬液，可增加胸腺重量，并恢复胸腺和脾对各种有丝分裂原的正常反应。这些结果进一步支持了胸腺参与骨硬化症发病机制的假说。
