Antigen presentation by Kupffer cells in the rat.

Sprague-Dawley rats were immunized with liver-specific protein (LSP), and the functions of isolated Kupffer cells, as accessory cells and antigen-presenting cells, were examined. More than 70% of the cells showed phagocytic activity for latex particles. The proliferative response of spleen lymphocytes stimulated with concanavalin A was lost in the absence of macrophages but was restored by the addition of Kupffer cells. In vitro stimulation with LSP induced binding of lymphocytes to Kupffer cells and enhanced 3H-thymidine incorporation when lymphocytes were incubated with Kupffer cells from immunized rats. These results indicated that Kupffer cells can act both as accessory cells and as antigen-presenting cells for LSP.