Antigen Presentation by Kupffer Cells in the Rat

Abstract

Sprague-Dawley rats were immunized with liver-specific protein (LSP), and the functions of isolated Kupffer cells, as accessory cells and antigen-presenting cells, were examined. More than 70% of the cells showed phagocytic activity for latex particles. The proliferative response of spleen lymphocytes stimulated with con- canavalin A was lost in the absence of macrophages but was restored by the addition of Kupffer cells. In vitro stimulation with LSP induced binding of lymphocytes to Kupffer cells and enhanced ³H-thymidine incorporation when lymphocytes were incubated with Kupffer cells from immunized rats. These results indicated that Kupffer cells can act both as accessory cells and as antigen-presenting cells for LSP.

Key words:

• Antigen presentation
• Kupffer cell—lvmphocyte interaction
• Kupffer cells
• liver-specific protein