Esquifino A I, Villanúa M A, Szary A, Yau J, Bartke A
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
Acta Endocrinol (Copenh). 1991 Jul;125(1):67-72. doi: 10.1530/acta.0.1250067.
This work was undertaken to study the effects of prolactin on immune function in Ames dwarf mice. For that purpose, adult Ames dwarf mice were implanted with pituitaries from normal mice under the kidney capsule. Ectopic pituitary transplants produced the expected increase in plasma prolactin levels in male and female dwarf mice as compared to sham-operated dwarf or untreated normal mice. Body weight was significantly increased in pituitary-grafted dwarf mice of both sexes, but did not reach the values found in normal (non-dwarf) animals. Pituitary transplants induced an increase in thymus weight and in the number of lymphocytes in the thymus in dwarf mice of both sexes as compared to sham-operated dwarf controls. The weight of the thymus in grafted dwarf mice remained below values found in normal mice, while the number of thymic lymphocytes became indistinguishable from those recorded in normal mice. Effects of pituitary transplants on the spleen were similar to those described for the thymus; however, neither the weight nor the lymphocyte number in pituitary-grafted dwarfs reached the values found in normal animals. Natural killer activity of spleen lymphocytes from pituitary-grafted male and female dwarf mice was greatly enhanced as compared to lymphocytes from sham-operated dwarfs. This effect was greater in males than in females. The number of white blood cells in pituitary-grafted male dwarf mice was increased and indistinguishable from the values found in normal males. Surprisingly, this effect was absent in the females. These findings suggest that hormones secreted by the transplants, most likely prolactin and growth hormone, can enhance the immune response. This action may be mediated by direct action of prolactin and/or growth hormone on immune cells or by indirect effects.
本研究旨在探讨催乳素对Ames侏儒小鼠免疫功能的影响。为此，将成年Ames侏儒小鼠的肾包膜下植入正常小鼠的垂体。与假手术侏儒小鼠或未处理的正常小鼠相比，异位垂体移植使雄性和雌性侏儒小鼠的血浆催乳素水平出现预期升高。垂体移植的侏儒小鼠两性体重均显著增加，但未达到正常（非侏儒）动物的体重值。与假手术侏儒对照小鼠相比，垂体移植使两性侏儒小鼠的胸腺重量和胸腺淋巴细胞数量增加。移植侏儒小鼠的胸腺重量仍低于正常小鼠，而胸腺淋巴细胞数量与正常小鼠记录的数量无明显差异。垂体移植对脾脏的影响与对胸腺的影响相似；然而，垂体移植侏儒小鼠的脾脏重量和淋巴细胞数量均未达到正常动物的水平。与假手术侏儒小鼠的淋巴细胞相比，垂体移植的雄性和雌性侏儒小鼠脾脏淋巴细胞的自然杀伤活性大大增强。这种作用在雄性中比在雌性中更明显。垂体移植的雄性侏儒小鼠白细胞数量增加，与正常雄性小鼠的值无明显差异。令人惊讶的是，雌性小鼠没有这种作用。这些发现表明，移植分泌的激素，很可能是催乳素和生长激素，可以增强免疫反应。这种作用可能是由催乳素和/或生长激素对免疫细胞的直接作用或间接作用介导的。
