Ottaviani E, Franchini A, Franceschi C
Department of Animal Biology, University of Modena, Italy.
Histochem J. 1998 Feb;30(2):61-7. doi: 10.1023/a:1003270614163.
Corticotropin-releasing hormone- and cortisol-like molecules are present in the haemocytes of different molluscan species and in the epithelial cells, interdigitating cells and macrophages - but not in the lymphocytes - of fish, frog, chicken and rat thymus. Taking into account the fact that other pro-opiomelanocortin-derived peptides, such as adrenocorticotropin hormone, are present in the haemocytes and thymus of the same species, these results complete the list of stress mediators present in molluscan haemocytes and further support the hypothesis that, although the prototype stress response we have demonstrated in invertebrates is concentrated in a single cell, i.e. the haemocyte, it is similar to the response seen in vertebrates. Moreover, the data presented here are compatible with the hypothesis that an evolutionary, conserved stress response can occur locally with a single organ, e.g. the thymus, in which all the main mediators of this biological response, such as corticotropin-releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropin hormone and glucocorticoids, are present. The implications of these findings for the physiology of thymus and stress response may be far reaching.
促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素和皮质醇样分子存在于不同软体动物物种的血细胞中，也存在于鱼类、青蛙、鸡和大鼠胸腺的上皮细胞、指状交叉细胞和巨噬细胞中，但不存在于淋巴细胞中。考虑到同一物种的血细胞和胸腺中存在其他源自阿片黑素皮质素原的肽，如促肾上腺皮质激素，这些结果完善了软体动物血细胞中存在的应激介质清单，并进一步支持了以下假设：尽管我们在无脊椎动物中证明的原型应激反应集中在单个细胞即血细胞中，但它与脊椎动物中看到的反应相似。此外，这里给出的数据与以下假设相符：进化上保守的应激反应可以在单个器官（如胸腺）中局部发生，在胸腺中存在这种生物学反应的所有主要介质，如促肾上腺皮质激素释放激素、促肾上腺皮质激素和糖皮质激素。这些发现对胸腺生理学和应激反应的影响可能是深远的。
