Geenen V, Robert F, Defresne M P, Boniver J, Legros J J, Franchimont P
Laboratoire de Radioimmunologie, Unité de Neuroendocrinologie, CHU-B23, Université de Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgique.
Horm Res. 1989;31(1-2):81-4. doi: 10.1159/000181092.
The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) are synthesized in the human thymus in a similar way as in the hypothalamo-neurophypophyseal system. Immunocytochemistry with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies revealed that immunoreactive OT- and VP-producing cells are localized in the subcapsular cortex and medulla of human and murine thymuses. The epithelial nature of the neuroendocrine thymic cells is demonstrated by their immunostaining with a monoclonal antibody against cytokeratin. An original example of a neuroendocrine-immune microenvironment is given by the thymic nurse cells which are composed of a large neuroendocrine epithelial cell enclosing numerous mitotic immature thymocytes. These observations and the previously reported mitogenic and immunomodulatory properties of VP and OT upon mature T cells and thymocytes strongly support the existence of a neuroendocrine thymo-lymphoid axis and an active role of thymic VP and OT in T cell differentiation and activation.
神经肽催产素（OT）和加压素（VP）在人类胸腺中的合成方式与下丘脑 - 神经垂体系统相似。使用多克隆和单克隆抗体的免疫细胞化学显示，产生免疫反应性OT和VP的细胞位于人类和小鼠胸腺的被膜下皮质和髓质中。通过用抗细胞角蛋白的单克隆抗体进行免疫染色，证明了神经内分泌胸腺细胞的上皮性质。胸腺哺育细胞构成了神经内分泌 - 免疫微环境的一个典型例子，它由一个大型神经内分泌上皮细胞组成，包裹着许多有丝分裂的未成熟胸腺细胞。这些观察结果以及先前报道的VP和OT对成熟T细胞和胸腺细胞的促有丝分裂和免疫调节特性，有力地支持了神经内分泌胸腺 - 淋巴轴的存在以及胸腺VP和OT在T细胞分化和激活中的积极作用。
