Response of the thymus and spleen of CBA mice with sarcoma 37 on intravenous and subcutaneous administration of syngeneic dendritic cells.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of intravenous (i/v) and subcutaneous (s/c) infusion of syngeneic dendritic cells (DC) loaded or unloaded with lyzate of tumor cells (LTC) on apoptosis and proliferation of thymic and splenic cells in CBA mice with sarcoma 37 (S 37). METHODS: Experiments were carried out on CBA mice bearing transplanted ascitic form of S 37. DC loaded and unloaded with LTC were infused i/v and s/c (2 x 10(5) per animal) every 4 days (3 injections in total). Apoptosis and proliferation of thymic and splenic cells were evaluated using flow cytofluorimetry. RESULTS: It has been found that tumor development is accompanied by altered apoptosis and proliferation level in thymus and spleen. I/v infusion of syngeneic DC loaded and unloaded with LTC rendered the normalizing effect on the state of thymus in spleen in tumor-bearing animals. In the case of s/c infusion such effect of DC is less expressed. The use of DC, loaded with LTC irrespectively of the way of administration renders more durable effect on the functional state of these cells than the use of unloaded DC. CONCLUSION: Injection of syngeneic DC both loaded or unloaded with LTC renders a normalizing effect on the state of organs of immune system in tumor-bearing CBA mice.

The state of the immune system in thyroidectomized rats.

Disorders in the immune system manifesting in decreased weight and cellularity of lymphoid organs, decreased count of large granular lymphocytes, suppression of the immune response and metabolic activity of macrophages were observed in experimental animals 1-6 months after thyroidectomy. The intensity of these disorders depends on the period elapsed after the surgery. These disorders can result from not only changes in the levels of the pituitary-thyroid hormones, but also disturbances in the endocrine function of the thymus in thyroidectomized animals.