ABSTRACT
Spleen cell graft-versus-host (GVH) reactivity was determined in male and female, either virgin or breeder, Long-Evans (LE) rats from 3 to 24 months of age. The tests of a regional (popliteal lymph node enlargement index) and a systemic (splenomegaly index, mortality assay) GVH reaction was used. Although the GVH reactivity declined with age in both sexes, the onset of this decline was significantly delayed in 18-month-old virgin females in comparison with 12-month-old males. Moreover, 6 or 7 consecutive pregnancies resulted in significantly enhanced GVH reactivity of 18-24-month-old females. This long-lasting effect of multiparity was observed in females mated either syngeneically or allogeneically. The possible role of neuroendocrine factors in delaying the age-related process of thymic involution in multiparous females is suggested.
Subject(s)
Graft vs Host Reaction/physiology , Sexual Behavior, Animal , Spleen/immunology , Age Factors , Animals , Cell Transplantation/mortality , Female , Male , Organ Size , Parity , Rats , Rats, Inbred Strains , Rats, Sprague-Dawley , Spleen/cytologyABSTRACT
Regional graft versus host (GVH) reaction in mice induced by injection of parental strain spleen cells into the footpad of F1, recipients, was measured 7 days later by a popliteal lymph node (PLN) enlargement index. Young, 6-week-old F1 hosts can be used for studying the age- and sex-dependent GVH reactivity of parental strain donors. On the other hand, senescent, 21-24-month-old F1 recipients are able to mount a host versus graft response against parental antigens which may obscure the typical GVH reaction. The PLN enlargement in syngeneic old F1 mice points to an autoimmune mechanism of this phenomenon.
Subject(s)
Aging/immunology , Graft vs Host Reaction/immunology , Animals , Autoimmunity , Female , Lymph Nodes/anatomy & histology , Lymph Nodes/immunology , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Inbred CBA , Organ Size , Spleen/cytology , Spleen/immunology , Spleen/transplantation , Transplantation, IsogeneicABSTRACT
Cadmium administered intraperitoneally to male mice from a cadmium-sensitive KE strain brought about a decrease in thickness of the cortical bone layer accompanied by osteoporosis and widening of the marrow cavity. The extent of these changes was assessed by calculating the cortical index. No differences were observed between animals examined four months and eight months after cadmium administration. Cadmium also caused a delay in bone repair after experimental fracture: in cadmium-treated mice bony callus had not formed six weeks after the fracture, whereas control animals showed a fully healed fracture after four weeks.
Subject(s)
Bone and Bones/drug effects , Cadmium/pharmacology , Animals , Bone and Bones/pathology , Fractures, Bone , Male , Mice , Wound HealingABSTRACT
The mechanical strength at bending was examined in 26 femoral bones prepared from human corpses. The obtained data was compared with the cortical index (CI). The study demonstrates high correlation between CI and mechanical strength of the corpus as well as the collum of the examined bone, which means that CI is a good criterion in assessing biological age of the bone. Our study confirms previously made observations that revealed a considerable usefulness of CI determined in X-rays, for the estimation of osteoporosis advancement in long bones and their mechanical strength.
