Journal of Leukocyte Biology 41:130-142 (1987) Natural Killer Cell Activity in the Rat. VI. Characterization of Rat Large Granular Lymphocytes as Effector Cells in Natural Killer and Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxic Activities

The present study examined rat natural killer (NK) cells, which mediate not only NK activity but also antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). NK and ADCC activi-ties were compared with regard to 1) organ distribution, 2) strain distribution, 3) Percoli fractionation of the effector cells, 4) effects of aging, and 5) potential to be augmented by biological response modifiers (BRN). Like NK activity, appreciable ADCC activity was observed in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL), aplenic leukocytea (SPL), and peritoneal exudate cells (PEC), but not in cell preparations from the peripheral lymph nodes (PLN), mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), bone marrow (BM), and thymus (THY). ADCC activity, when compared with NK activity, was significantly higher in PBL but the same or lower in SPL and PEC. In terms of strain distribution, a high P4K/ADCC strain (mu/mu), four intermediate NK and high ADCC strains (PVG/RTLRL, Lewis, PVG/OLA, and F344), an intermediate NKIADCC strain (WFIN), and a low NK/ADCC strain (Buffalo) were observed. Fractionation of effector cells on discontinuous Percoll gradients revealed that both NK and ADCC activities were associated with relatively high-density large granular lymphocytes (LGL). in contrast, ADCC but little or no NK activity was associated wit