Muñoz F J, De la Fuente M
Cell Signaling Unit, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, E-08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Physiol Biochem Zool. 2001 Sep-Oct;74(5):660-7. doi: 10.1086/323033.
The reptile immune system is strikingly affected by seasonal variations, which induce changes in the structure of the lymphoid organs and in the function of the leukocytes. The aim of this work is to study several functions of splenic leukocytes from the turtle Mauremys caspica along its seasonal cycle. The functions assayed were adherence to substrate, mobility directed to a chemoattractant gradient (chemotaxis), lymphoproliferative response to mitogens, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and natural killer-like cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Splenic leukocytes showed a positive response in all the assays, and this response was similar to that of mammals. In regard to the effect of the seasonal cycle, we have observed in winter a low adherence to substratum and high chemotaxis and cytotoxic activity, whereas in spring, only lymphoproliferation induced by mitogens showed high values except with lipopolysaccharide, which did not induce any seasonal variation in proliferation percentages. In summer, a high chemotaxis and cytotoxicity were observed, while in autumn, adherence to substratum was increased, but chemotaxis, cytotoxicity, and proliferation were clearly diminished. Our results demonstrate that splenic leukocyte functions are affected by the seasonal cycle, which induces a different pattern of response depending on the function studied.
爬行动物的免疫系统受到季节变化的显著影响，季节变化会引起淋巴器官结构和白细胞功能的改变。本研究的目的是沿着季节性周期研究地中海池龟脾脏白细胞的几种功能。所检测的功能包括对底物的黏附、趋化因子梯度引导下的移动（趋化性）、对有丝分裂原的淋巴细胞增殖反应、抗体依赖性细胞毒性以及自然杀伤样细胞介导的细胞毒性。脾脏白细胞在所有检测中均表现出阳性反应，且这种反应与哺乳动物的相似。关于季节性周期的影响，我们观察到冬季脾脏白细胞对底物的黏附性较低，趋化性和细胞毒性活性较高；而在春季，除脂多糖外，有丝分裂原诱导的淋巴细胞增殖反应值较高，脂多糖并未诱导增殖百分比出现任何季节性变化。在夏季，观察到趋化性和细胞毒性较高，而在秋季，对底物的黏附性增加，但趋化性、细胞毒性和增殖明显降低。我们的结果表明，脾脏白细胞功能受到季节性周期的影响，根据所研究的功能，季节性周期会诱导出不同的反应模式。
