Epithelioid granuloma induced by muramyl dipeptide in immunologically deficient rats.

When WKA rats were either neonatally thymectomized or injected with anti-rat thymocyte sera, their T-cell functions were effectively suppressed. When neonatally thymectomized plus anti-rat thymocyte serum-treated rats were injected with non-immunogenic muramyl dipeptide in water-in-oil emulsion, they produced massive epithelioid granulomas. Essentially, no morphological difference was noticed between granulomas induced in untreated rats and in thymectomized plus anti-rat thymocyte serum-treated rats. These findings strongly suggest that muramyl dipeptide-induced epithelioid granulomas required no T cells for their formation. In contrast, the induction of adjuvant arthritis appeared to depend on the presence of T cells.