Stress-induced changes in muscarinic and beta-adrenergic binding sites on rat thymocytes and lymphocytes.

This study examined the effect of immobilization stress on the expression of muscarinic and beta-adrenergic receptors on thymocytes and lymphocytes obtained from 5-month-old L-E male rats. After 2 h immobilization (acute stress) there was a significant increase in specific binding of [3H]-DHA to beta-adrenergic receptors on thymocytes and on lymphocytes from the blood but not from the spleen, whereas [3H]-QNB binding to muscarinic receptors in those cells was not altered in comparison with the undisturbed control. Chronic immobilization stress (5 days, for 2 h) decreased the [3H]-QNB binding to lymphocytes collected from the spleen and blood but not from thymus; it caused neither a significant change in the 3H-DHA binding to thymocytes nor lymphocytes obtained from the blood and spleen.