ABSTRACT
1. The effects of chronic melatonin treatment on antibody production and thymus glucocorticoid and progestin binding sites in the course of primary immune response were investigated in rats subjected to long-term manipulations of circulating glucocorticoid concentrations. 2. The chronic melatonin treatment enhanced the PFC-ability in control and ADX animals and decreased it in the presence of high circulating corticosterone levels. 3. Melatonin treatment increased the affinity and decreased the density of glucocorticoid and progestin receptors in non-immunized animals, while in SRBC-primed rats it was ineffective. 4. The influence of melatonin was apparent when steroid environment was subject of variations: it decreased the affinity of both types of receptors in ADX animals and increased it in immunized rats which have been subjected simultaneously to corticosterone overdose.
Subject(s)
Antibody Formation/physiology , Glucocorticoids/blood , Melatonin/physiology , Receptors, Steroid/metabolism , Thymus Gland/immunology , Adrenalectomy , Animals , Male , Rats , Rats, Inbred Strains , Receptors, Progesterone/metabolism , Thymus Gland/metabolismABSTRACT
The intraperitoneal administration of prostaglandin E2 (PgE2) considerably delayed the rejection of allogeneic skin grafts, both in the primary (first set) and secondary (second set) reaction, and inhibited the production of plaque-forming cells after antigenic stimulation with sheep red blood cells. In addition, the treatment of mice with PgE2 during their immunization with allogeneic epididymal spermatozoa resulted in a markedly slower rejection of the following skin grafts from the donor's strain in comparison with the animals injected with spermatozoa only. Evidence was also found concerning the immunosuppressive effect of PgE2 on the humoral immune response against sperm antigens. The possible immunoregulatory role of PgE2 in the natural immune tolerance to sperm antigens is discussed.
Subject(s)
Graft Rejection/drug effects , Prostaglandins E/pharmacology , Skin Transplantation , Spermatozoa/immunology , Animals , Dinoprostone , Graft Survival/drug effects , Hemagglutination Tests , Histocompatibility Antigens/immunology , Indomethacin/pharmacology , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Skin/drug effects , Spermatozoa/drug effects , Transplantation, HomologousABSTRACT
The effect of platelet-activating factor on human granulocytes was determined by luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL), antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and rosette assay. An activation of the respiratory burst could be measured by CL and be shown to depend on the presence of extracellular calcium. This direct stimulation of PMN was proved to be inhibited by oxygen radical scavengers as well as by the calcium channel blocker diltiazem. Furthermore, the presence of PAF enhanced the activation of PMN via Fc- or C3b-receptors, as demonstrated by CL and ADCC. On the other hand, no influence on the rosette-forming capacity of PMN could be detected. The results support the concept of the import role of PAF in inflammatory processes.
Subject(s)
Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity/drug effects , Luminescent Measurements , Neutrophils/drug effects , Platelet Activating Factor/pharmacology , Adult , Calcium/pharmacology , Free Radicals , Humans , Neutrophils/immunology , Neutrophils/metabolism , Oxygen Consumption/drug effects , Rosette Formation , Stimulation, ChemicalABSTRACT
Rabbit antisera to bull, ram, boar, and man spermatozoa were used in passive hemagglutination, passive skin anaphylaxis after Ovary, and immunoelectrophoresis tests to study water-salt extracts from spermatozoa and small and large liver fluke. the immunoelectrophoretic analysis revealed the presence of similar antigens in F. hepatica and D. lanceatum and in bull spermatozoa. A cross reaction was also observed (passive skin anaphylaxis in a guinea pig) between antisera to bull, ram, and man spermatozoa and water-soluble antigens of the two species of fluke. A similar reaction was noted also between sperm-agglutinating sera of infertile cows and the extracts from parasites. Discussed is the problem as to whether the cross reaction is due to common or similar antigenic determinants in the parasites and in some specific spermatozoid antigens. Stated is the clinical importance of these data and the ensuing link between liver fluke infection and the immunologically-mediated infertility of cows.
Subject(s)
Antigens, Helminth/analysis , Antigens/analysis , Dicrocoelium/immunology , Fasciola hepatica/immunology , Spermatozoa/immunology , Animals , Cattle , Cross Reactions , Hemagglutination Tests , Humans , Immunoelectrophoresis , Male , Passive Cutaneous Anaphylaxis , Rabbits , Semen/immunology , Sheep , SwineABSTRACT
Porcine pancreatic kallikrein and synthetic bradykinin usually applied for stimulation of sperm motility were administered in mice to study their effect on the immune response. Humoral immune response was recorded by the number of direct plaque-forming cells in spleen-cell suspension, and the cell-mediated immune response was determined by the survival rate of allogeneic skin grafts. Kallikrein exerted suppressive influence both on the primary and on the secondary humoral immune response accompanied by well-expressed splenomegaly but bradykinin stimulated the humoral immune response. Both substances did not affect the cell-mediated immune response.
