The role of polymorphonuclear leucocytes and T lymphocytes in experimental murine amyloidosis.

Washed cells, from ascitic fluid, which contained predominantly polymorphonuclear leucocytes from casein treated donor mice, induced accelerated amyloid formation in untreated syngeneic recipient animals. A similar transfer model, with lymph node cell suspension, was ineffective. Amyloidogenesis was completely blocked by colchicine treatment of the donors while treatment of the recipients had no effect. A casein induced amyloidogenic stimulus was transferred from nude C3H mice to their normal littermates. When the order was reversed, no amyloidosis occurred in the nude recipients. These experiments indicate the possible involvement of two cells in the biphasic process of casein induced murine amyloid formation: the polymorphonuclear leucocyte in the first phase and the T lymphocyte in the second.