IN-VITRO EFFECTS OF DEOXYGUANOSINE (DGUO) ON THYMIC STROMAL CELLS - ADISCUSSION

Different in vitro approaches have been used to enrich thymic epitheli al cells for the analysis of their role in inducing tolerance. One wid ely used approach consists of the organ culture of mouse fetal thymic lobes (FTOCs) in the presence of 2'-deoxyguanosine (dGuo), that is tho ught to selectively eliminate both thymocytes and interdigitating cell s/dendritic cells (IDCs/DCs) from the, thymic cultured tissue. The dGu o-induced effects on rat thymic stromal cells appear to differ from th ose described in mouse. Tn this paper we present evidence supporting t he presence of rat DCs in bath thymic cultured fragments and thymic st romal cell primary cultures after dGuo treatment. Possible explanation s for these contradictory results are discussed.