Influence of thymic hormones on mitogen-induced interferon production in lymphocytes. I. Augmentation of mitogen-induced immune interferon production by thymosin.

Thymosin (thymus fraction 5) in combination with concanavalin A influences both 3H-thymidine uptake in lymphocytes in vitro and the production of interferon. After in vivo pretreatment of adult mice with thymosin the mitogen-induced interferon production was about 3 times higher than in controls. The produced interferon is immune interferon (IFN gamma) as determined by rho H 2-sensitivity and lack of neutralization by mouse IFN beta-antibodies.