Effect of zinc chloride on hamster lymphoid cells: mitogenicity and differential enhancement of lipopolysaccharide stimulation of lymphocytes.

ZnCl2 over a very narrow concentration range was found to be mitogenic for hamster lymph node cells but not for thymocytes or splenocytes. Maximal leucine, [3H]uridine, and [3H]thymidine incorporation. Addition of 10 micron ZnCl2 was found to greatly enhance the stimulation observed with the B-lymphocyte mitogen lipopolysaccharide but not with dextran sulfate or the T-lymphocyte mitogen lipopolysaccharide but not with dextran sulfate or the T-lymphocyte mitogen concanavalin A. Although not mitogenic for splenocytes, 10 to 25 micron ZnCl2 slightly enhanced lipopolysaccharide stimulation but not concanavalin A or dextran sulfate stimulation. The effect of ZnCl2 on lipopolysaccharide stimulation was also confirmed with outbred Hartley guinea pig splenocytes and lymph node cells. Zinc chloride (50 micron) was mitogenic for both of these tissues; the response to lipopolysaccharide was enhanced by addition of 50 micron ZnCl2, but the concanavalin A response was unaffected. The possibility that the zinc effect is mediated by proteolytic mechanisms is discussed.