Departamento de Fisiología y Farmacología, Centro de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, México.
Neuroimmunomodulation. 2012;19(3):148-57. doi: 10.1159/000330578. Epub 2012 Jan 18.
The role of arginine vasopressin (AVP) as a direct immune regulator has not yet been clarified, and more work is needed to assess its involvement in the immunoneuroendocrine network. In the present study, the effects of neurointermediate pituitary lobectomy (NIL) and desmopressin (DP), an agonist of AVP, on acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in female Lewis rats were evaluated. The activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis was also assessed.
Five groups of rats were used, as follows: (1) sham-operated (SHAM) rats, (2) SHAM + DP rats, (3) NIL rats, (4) NIL + DP rats and (5) untreated normal control rats. DP treatment started 2 weeks after surgery, and immunization to induce EAE was carried out 1 week later.
SHAM rats developed full-blown clinical and histological signs of EAE and activation of the HPA axis. SHAM + DP animals had mild clinical signs of EAE, inflammatory infiltrations in the spinal cord and an activated HPA axis. NIL animals developed minimal EAE, scanty spinal cord inflammation and no changes in HPA axis activity. NIL + DP rats developed severe clinical signs of EAE, extensive spinal cord inflammatory infiltrations and marked activation of the HPA axis.
NIL decreased the cell-mediated immune response, while DP in NIL animals restored the immune response. AVP is directly involved in the maintenance of immune competence.
精氨酸加压素（AVP）作为一种直接的免疫调节剂的作用尚未阐明，需要更多的工作来评估其在免疫神经内分泌网络中的作用。本研究评估了神经垂体中叶切除术（NIL）和去氨加压素（DP），即 AVP 的激动剂，对雌性 Lewis 大鼠急性实验性自身免疫性脑脊髓炎（EAE）的影响。还评估了下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺皮质（HPA）轴的活性。
使用五组大鼠，如下所示：（1）假手术（SHAM）大鼠，（2）SHAM + DP 大鼠，（3）NIL 大鼠，（4）NIL + DP 大鼠和（5）未治疗的正常对照大鼠。DP 治疗在手术后 2 周开始，1 周后进行免疫接种以诱导 EAE。
SHAM 大鼠出现了 EAE 的全面临床和组织学症状以及 HPA 轴的激活。SHAM + DP 动物的 EAE 临床症状较轻，脊髓有炎症浸润和 HPA 轴激活。NIL 动物发生轻微的 EAE，脊髓炎症很少，HPA 轴活性无变化。NIL + DP 大鼠发生严重的 EAE 临床症状，广泛的脊髓炎症浸润和明显的 HPA 轴激活。
NIL 降低了细胞介导的免疫反应，而 DP 在 NIL 动物中恢复了免疫反应。AVP 直接参与维持免疫能力。
