Amyloidosis in (CBA/J X A/J)F2 mice: correlation of amyloid resistance and low mitogenic response to concanavalin A.

A/J mice are highly resistant to induction of amyloidosis with serial injections of azocasein, compared to the CBA/J strain. (CBA X A) F2 hybrid mice were treated with azocasein, after spleen biopsy for assay of 3 immunologic functions differing in the parent strains. The proportions of amyloid susceptibility and resistance in the hybrid population conformed to the expectations for a single gene. Low responses to the T cell mitogen concanavalin A correlated with resistance to amyloid induction, whereas the response to lipopolysaccharide and the level of natural killer activity were independent of susceptibility to amyloidosis.