Spontaneous rosette formation of pig and guinea pig thymocytes and peripheral blood lymphocytes: influence of proteases, oxidising and reducing agents, cytochalasin B and carbohydrates.

Spontaneous rosette formation (SRF) of pig and guinea pig thymocytes (Th) and thymus derived peripheral blood lymphocytes (PTL) was tested under different experimental conditions. Treatment with different proteases (trypsin, chymotrypsin, protease type VII) showed that SRF of pig Th and PTL is inhibited to a much higher extent than that of guinea pig Th and PTL. Cytochalasin B (CB) inhibited SRF of PTL of both species to a higher degree as compared to Th. Different carbohydrates neither influenced SRF of Th nor of PTL in both species indicating that simple carbohydrates are not the recognized component of SRF receptors. Treatment with oxidising and reducing agents did not influence SRF.