Angiotensin II suppression of human mononuclear cell reactivity is associated with enhanced OKT8+ lymphocyte thymidine incorporation.

Recent evidence suggests that angiotensin II may participate in the regulation of inflammation. We previously reported that angiotensin II inhibits human peripheral blood mononuclear cell reactivity and acts directly on lymphocytes. These observations are again confirmed. In addition, purified OKT8+ but not OKT4+ T cell suspensions stimulated with phytohemagglutinin revealed increased thymidine incorporation when simultaneously cultured for 48 hours with angiotensin II. These findings suggest that angiotensin II may inhibit mononuclear cell thymidine uptake through stimulation of suppressor lymphocytes contained within the OKT8+ subpopulation.