Geenen V, Defresne M P, Robert F, Legros J J, Franchimont P, Boniver J
Laboratory of Radioimmunology, University of Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgium.
Neuroendocrinology. 1988 Apr;47(4):365-8. doi: 10.1159/000124938.
Thymic neuroendocrine cells were identified by immunofluorescence in the murine thymus through the use of monoclonal antibody A2B5, and specific polyclonal antisera against neurophysin (NP), oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP). Two reactive regions were clearly identified: the subcapsular cortex and the medulla. A close correspondence was observed between A2B5-reactive and NP-immunoreactive cells in the medulla. An important epithelial population of the subcapsular cortex, the thymic nurse cells (TNCs), were found to be A2B5-positive and to contain immunoreactive NP, OT and AVP. The neuroendocrine nature of TNCs was further substantiated by their high reactivity with an antiserum against neuron-specific enolase. These observations demonstrate the presence in the thymus gland of an original neuroendocrine microenvironment which could be of functional importance in the mediation of central influences upon T lymphocyte differentiation.
通过使用单克隆抗体A2B5以及针对神经垂体素（NP）、催产素（OT）和精氨酸加压素（AVP）的特异性多克隆抗血清，在小鼠胸腺中通过免疫荧光鉴定出胸腺神经内分泌细胞。清楚地识别出两个反应区域：被膜下皮质和髓质。在髓质中观察到A2B5反应性细胞和NP免疫反应性细胞之间有密切对应关系。被膜下皮质的一个重要上皮细胞群体，即胸腺哺育细胞（TNCs），被发现是A2B5阳性，并含有免疫反应性NP、OT和AVP。TNCs与抗神经元特异性烯醇化酶抗血清的高反应性进一步证实了其神经内分泌性质。这些观察结果表明胸腺中存在一种原始的神经内分泌微环境，这在介导中枢对T淋巴细胞分化的影响方面可能具有重要功能意义。
