Müller S, Weihe E
Department of Anatomy, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Federal Republic of Germany.
Brain Behav Immun. 1991 Mar;5(1):55-72. doi: 10.1016/0889-1591(91)90007-w.
The peptidergic innervation of rat thymus has been investigated by immunohistochemical methods, focusing on the spatial interrelationship of peptidergic nerve fibers with mast cells and macrophages in the rat. An antiserum directed against the protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5) regarded as a pan-neuronal marker revealed a rich innervation, especially in the subcapsular cortex, in interlobular septa, and of the vasculature in the cortex and the corticomedullary boundary. A minor proportion of PGP 9.5-immunoreactive (ir) fibers supplied the thymic parenchyma. The main component of peptidergic innervation consisted of fibers costaining for tachykinins (TKs) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), but considerable amounts of neuropeptide Y (NPY)/tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive fibers and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide/peptide histidine isoleucine-positive fibers also were present. There were sparse Leu-enkephalin and galanin immunoreactivities in thymic nerve fibers, while neurotensin was absent from nerve fibers. Close associations of TK/CGRP-ir and NPY-ir fibers with mast cells were frequently detected in the connective tissue areas of the thymus, often adjacent to the vasculature. TK/CGRP-ir fibers and some rare NPY-ir fibers were found adjacent to EDl-positive macrophages and less frequently to mast cells. TK/CGRP-ir and NPY-ir fibers were mainly detected in relation to the vasculature of the cortex and the corticomedullary boundary, but also were found in capsular and subcapsular regions of the thymic cortex. The possible importance of the close spatial relationship between the various peptide-containing nerve fibers and mast cells and ED1-positive macrophages in neuroimmune integration is discussed.
已采用免疫组织化学方法研究了大鼠胸腺的肽能神经支配，重点关注肽能神经纤维与大鼠肥大细胞和巨噬细胞之间的空间相互关系。一种针对被视为泛神经元标志物的蛋白基因产物9.5（PGP 9.5）的抗血清显示出丰富的神经支配，尤其是在被膜下皮质、小叶间隔以及皮质和皮质髓质交界处的脉管系统。一小部分PGP 9.5免疫反应性（ir）纤维供应胸腺实质。肽能神经支配的主要成分由速激肽（TKs）和降钙素基因相关肽（CGRP）共染色的纤维组成，但也存在相当数量的神经肽Y（NPY）/酪氨酸羟化酶（TH）阳性纤维和血管活性肠多肽/肽组氨酸异亮氨酸阳性纤维。胸腺神经纤维中亮脑啡肽和甘丙肽免疫反应性稀疏，而神经纤维中不存在神经降压素。在胸腺的结缔组织区域，经常在脉管系统附近检测到TK/CGRP-ir和NPY-ir纤维与肥大细胞的紧密关联。发现TK/CGRP-ir纤维和一些罕见的NPY-ir纤维与ED1阳性巨噬细胞相邻，与肥大细胞相邻的情况较少。TK/CGRP-ir和NPY-ir纤维主要在皮质和皮质髓质交界处的脉管系统中检测到，但也在胸腺皮质的被膜和被膜下区域发现。讨论了各种含肽神经纤维与肥大细胞和ED1阳性巨噬细胞之间紧密空间关系在神经免疫整合中的可能重要性。
