[Kinetics and properties of a cortisol-resistant population of lymphocytes from lymph nodes of guinea pigs sensitized to protein].

Lymphocytes from the cervical lymph nodes of guinea pigs were incubated in medium 199 in the presence of cortizol in a concentration of 20 and 100 microng% for 24 hours. A determination was made of the lymphocyte survival and cortizol metabolism by them, and also (cytophotometrically) the nucleic acid content. In the intact and the sesitized guinea pigs progesterone in a concentration of 10-5 inhibited both the lytic action of coritizol and its metabolism There was observed a marked reduction of cortizol meta bolism by the lymphocytes from the 6th day after the sensitization, which was restored only by the 90th day. The cortizol-resistant lymphocyte population increased on the 17th--30th day. In a concentration of 100 microng% cortizol reduced the nucleic acid content in the lymphocytes of both the intact guinea pigs and sensitized ones on the 17th--30th day, when the cortizol-resistant population increased.