Factors influencing the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction in rats: effect of xenogeneic serum protein.

Mixed culture of nylon non-adherent (T-enriched) spleen cells or lymph node cells of ACI/N or F344 rats with mitomycin C-treated autologous spleen cells resulted in the increased DNA synthesis of the responder T cells when they were cultured in medium containing foetal calf serum (FCS) or bovine serum albumin. This autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR), however, proceeds little when the cells were cultured in medium containing autologous or allogeneic rat serum, irrespective of the responder:stimulator cell ratio and to the culture period. Furthermore, the AMLR response in FCS was greatly reduced if a relatively large number of macrophages were present in the responder cell population. These results suggest that the AMLR response is unlikely to occur in a physiological condition or in vivo.