Transient early metabolic and functional hyperreactivity and late areactivity of lymphocytes in preleukemic AKR mice.

The dynamics of changes in the metabolic and functional activities of thymus, lymph node and spleen lymphocytes and spleen macrophages of AKR mice was examined during the preleukemic period. The MTT colorimetric assay was used to determine the mitochondrial enzyme activity of viable cells, the local xenogeneic GVH reaction and the IL-2 assay for measuring T cell responses, and the IL-1 assay as an indicator of macrophage activity. In the early preleukemic period (at 1.5 months of age), lymphocyte dehydrogenase enzyme hyperactivity was accompanied by a highly increased production of IL-2, positive local xenogeneic GVH reaction and increased IL-1 production. Later on, at the age of 4-5 months, AKR mice demonstrated a progressive decrease in the metabolic activity of lymphocytes, negative local GVH reaction and reduction or lack in IL-2 and IL-1 production. This early hyperreactivity and late, gradually evolving, areactivity of lymphocytes and macrophages was not found in other, non-leukemic strains of mice (RFM, CBA, C57BL).