ABSTRACT
Sex hormones are known to be implicated in humoral and cellular immune responses. In this study we report the effects of orchidectomy and testosterone replacement on the immune response using T-dependent and T-independent antigens. It was found that the response was dependent on the nature of the antigen employed and on the presence of testosterone. The absence of testosterone receptors in spleen lymphocytes was also found. An hypothesis that testosterone regulates the immune system through the enhancement of suppressive activity is advanced.
Subject(s)
Antibody Formation/physiology , Antibody-Producing Cells/physiology , Testosterone/physiology , Animals , Hemolytic Plaque Technique , Immunoglobulin M/biosynthesis , Lymphocyte Activation , Lymphocytes/analysis , Male , Mice , Orchiectomy , Receptors, Cell Surface/analysis , Spleen/cytology , T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer/immunologyABSTRACT
Female adult rats fed with a protein-free normocaloric diet were antigenically stimulated with 1.3 x 10(-9) sheep red blood cells. Lymphoid spleen population, spleen plaque forming cells and serum haemolysins were measured in experimental as well as in control animals fed with a normal (18% protein) diet. A persistent diminution, proportionally related to the period of protein deprivation, of all parameters studied was observed; the fall was more prominent for haemolysin titre which became undetectable after 15 days of protein-free diet. Also, animals exposed to the aproteic diet during 15 days were afterwards returned to a normal diet and maintained on it during variable periods of time. A rapid restoration of the humoral response capacity, up to 60% of normal after 4 days of protein intake, and completely normal, following 6 days of refeeding, was observed. These findings suggest that protein starvation influences the production of circulating antibodies more than the antibody-forming cells. The aproteic induced impairment involved in the immunoglobulin synthesis does not appear to be irreversible, at least during the dieting period explored in the present study.
Subject(s)
Antibody Formation , B-Lymphocytes/immunology , Protein Deficiency/immunology , Animals , Diet , Dietary Proteins/administration & dosage , Female , Organ Size , Rats , Spleen/anatomy & histology , Thymus Gland/anatomy & histology , Viral Plaque AssayABSTRACT
Female adult rats fed with a protein-free normocaloric diet were antigenically stimulated with 1.3 x 10(-9) sheep red blood cells. Lymphoid spleen population, spleen plaque forming cells and serum haemolysins were measured in experimental as well as in control animals fed with a normal (18
protein) diet. A persistent diminution, proportionally related to the period of protein deprivation, of all parameters studied was observed; the fall was more prominent for haemolysin titre which became undetectable after 15 days of protein-free diet. Also, animals exposed to the aproteic diet during 15 days were afterwards returned to a normal diet and maintained on it during variable periods of time. A rapid restoration of the humoral response capacity, up to 60
of normal after 4 days of protein intake, and completely normal, following 6 days of refeeding, was observed. These findings suggest that protein starvation influences the production of circulating antibodies more than the antibody-forming cells. The aproteic induced impairment involved in the immunoglobulin synthesis does not appear to be irreversible, at least during the dieting period explored in the present study.
ABSTRACT
Female adult rats fed with a protein-free normocaloric diet were antigenically stimulated with 1.3 x 10(-9) sheep red blood cells. Lymphoid spleen population, spleen plaque forming cells and serum haemolysins were measured in experimental as well as in control animals fed with a normal (18
protein) diet. A persistent diminution, proportionally related to the period of protein deprivation, of all parameters studied was observed; the fall was more prominent for haemolysin titre which became undetectable after 15 days of protein-free diet. Also, animals exposed to the aproteic diet during 15 days were afterwards returned to a normal diet and maintained on it during variable periods of time. A rapid restoration of the humoral response capacity, up to 60
of normal after 4 days of protein intake, and completely normal, following 6 days of refeeding, was observed. These findings suggest that protein starvation influences the production of circulating antibodies more than the antibody-forming cells. The aproteic induced impairment involved in the immunoglobulin synthesis does not appear to be irreversible, at least during the dieting period explored in the present study.
ABSTRACT
Corticosteroid action on rat spleen tissue was studied in order to determine the action of the hormone on cells involved in the early phase of the immune response. A significant reduction of plaque forming cells (PFC) was observed when the steroid was administered simultaneously with the antigen and even had some effect when injected up to three days immunization. Inasmuch as it can be assumed that at a period of 72 hr or less a great number if not all the cells are challenged by the antigen, results indicate a lympholytic action of the hormone on the already stimulated cells.
Subject(s)
Antibody Formation/drug effects , Hydrocortisone/pharmacology , Spleen/immunology , Animals , Male , Rats , Rats, Inbred Strains , Spleen/drug effects , Viral Plaque AssayABSTRACT
Corticosteroid action on rat spleen tissue was studied in order to determine the action of the hormone on cells involved in the early phase of the immune response. A significant reduction of plaque forming cells (PFC) was observed when the steroid was administered simultaneously with the antigen and even had some effect when injected up to three days immunization. Inasmuch as it can be assumed that at a period of 72 hr or less a great number if not all the cells are challenged by the antigen, results indicate a lympholytic action of the hormone on the already stimulated cells.
ABSTRACT
Corticosteroid action on rat spleen tissue was studied in order to determine the action of the hormone on cells involved in the early phase of the immune response. A significant reduction of plaque forming cells (PFC) was observed when the steroid was administered simultaneously with the antigen and even had some effect when injected up to three days immunization. Inasmuch as it can be assumed that at a period of 72 hr or less a great number if not all the cells are challenged by the antigen, results indicate a lympholytic action of the hormone on the already stimulated cells.
ABSTRACT
Changes in the rat lymph node RNA base composition and in ribosomal aggregation induced by heterologous skin graft have been characterized by the base composition analysis of the phenol extractable RNA, by the density gradient centrifugation of the ribosomal particles and by amino acid incorporation in the newly synthetized protein. Following skin grafts, the changes in base composition of total RNA in lymph . nodes were mainly due to the synthesis of ribosomal type RNA. Ribosomes were assembled as single units or as polyribosomes. The present findings also show an increase in amino acid incorporation by polyribosomes after the first graft reaction.
Subject(s)
Lymph Nodes/cytology , RNA, Ribosomal/analysis , Skin Transplantation , Amino Acids/metabolism , Animals , Axilla , Base Sequence , Graft Rejection , Knee , Protein Biosynthesis , RNA, Ribosomal/biosynthesis , Rats , Transplantation Immunology , Transplantation, HeterologousABSTRACT
Changes in the rat lymph node RNA base composition and in ribosomal aggregation induced by heterologous skin graft have been characterized by the base composition analysis of the phenol extractable RNA, by the density gradient centrifugation of the ribosomal particles and by amino acid incorporation in the newly synthetized protein. Following skin grafts, the changes in base composition of total RNA in lymph . nodes were mainly due to the synthesis of ribosomal type RNA. Ribosomes were assembled as single units or as polyribosomes. The present findings also show an increase in amino acid incorporation by polyribosomes after the first graft reaction.
ABSTRACT
Changes in the rat lymph node RNA base composition and in ribosomal aggregation induced by heterologous skin graft have been characterized by the base composition analysis of the phenol extractable RNA, by the density gradient centrifugation of the ribosomal particles and by amino acid incorporation in the newly synthetized protein. Following skin grafts, the changes in base composition of total RNA in lymph . nodes were mainly due to the synthesis of ribosomal type RNA. Ribosomes were assembled as single units or as polyribosomes. The present findings also show an increase in amino acid incorporation by polyribosomes after the first graft reaction.
