Dendritic cells from rat lung are potent accessory cells.

Accessory cells are required for the induction of lymphocyte proliferation in response to mitogens or antigens. Rat pulmonary cells were tested for the presence of accessory activity in lymphocyte proliferation induced by sodium periodate. Buffer-perfused lungs were excised, minced, and enzymatically digested. The resulting pulmonary cells (PC) were separated into high density (HD-PC, 32 to 57%) and low density (LD-PC, 9 to 32%) fractions in a discontinuous density gradient of bovine plasma albumin (BPA). Both macrophages and dendritic cells were observed in the LD-PC by light microscopy. HD-PC, LD-PC, adherent LD-PC, nonadherent LD-PC, and a purified preparation of pulmonary dendritic cells (DC-P) were tested for accessory activity in the presence of periodate-treated, lymph-node-derived lymphocytes as responders. Most of the accessory activity was found in the LD-PC. Increasing numbers of LD-PC stimulated proliferation of responder lymphocytes in a linear, dose-dependent manner; higher numbers had a suppressive effect. Nonadherent LD-PC containing dendritic cells also produced a dose-dependent increase in periodate-induced lymphocyte proliferation, whereas adherent LD-PC, morphologically identified as macrophages, were suppressive. Removal of phagocytic macrophages from nonadherent LD-PC resulted in an eightfold increase in both the percent of DC-P present and the amount of accessory activity in the LD-PC. We conclude that pulmonary dendritic cells are potent accessory cells for periodate-induced lymphocyte proliferation.