Requirement of 2-mercaptoethanol for in vitro growth factor production by T cells and vulnerability of the response to age.

The effects of 2-mercaptoethanol and age on spleen cells derived from young (3-4 months) and old (24-months) C57BL/6 mice were measured with respect to T cell growth factor or Interleukin 2 production. It was shown that: (A) 2-mercaptoethanol (or some homologue) is absolutely required for T cell growth factor production in vitro by murine cells (the optimum concentration is 5 X 10(-5) M for both young and old cells); (B) old cells are less responsive to suboptimum concentrations than young cells but their responses are not reduced to the same degree as young cells by supraoptimum toxic doses of 2-mercaptoethanol; and (C) at optimum 2-mercaptoethanol concentrations young and old cells have similar kinetic responses for T cell growth factor production and the accumulation of the T cell growth factor reaches a maximum between 18 and 24 hours. Considerations are presented of 2-mercaptoethanol (or some homologue) in its role as an important reactant in the production of T cell growth factor and in its susceptibility to aging.