Generation and maintenance of immune interferon-producing cells induced by allogeneic stimulation in mice.

When spleen cells derived from C57BL/6 mice immunized with L cells 7 days previously were cocultured with antigenic cells, immune interferon appeared in the culture fluid. We analyzed the tissue distribution of the immune interferon-producing cells (IIPC) which appeared in various lymphoid organs after allogeneic stimulation. Although fluid from cocultures of L-cell-sensitized thymocytes and L-cells could not detect interferon activity consistently, small numbers of IIPC could be detected by using the enumeration method of IIPC. The generation, maintenance, and nature of IIPC emerging in the spleen were different depending on how the host mice were immunized. Multiple antigenic stimulations were more effective and induced longer-lasting immune interferon production than a single stimulation. IIPC induced by a single stimulation appeared to be sensitive to cortisone, vinblastine, and cyclophosphamide and were relatively short lived. In contrast, IIPC induced by multiple stimulations seemed to be partially resistant to these drugs and long lived. When mice were immunized with intact L-cells, carrageenan, a known antimacrophage agent, had no effect on immune interferon production. However, when mice were immunized with solubilized L-cell antigen, this drug displayed a suppressive effect on immune interferon production.