title: Tumor necrosis factor alpha is involved in mouse growth and lymphoid tissue development.
abstract: Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), a major mediator of inflammation, also possesses a wide pleiotropism of actions, suggesting its involvement in physiological conditions. TNF-alpha mRNA is present in mouse embryonic tissues and also in fetal thymus and spleen. Repeated injections of a monospecific polyclonal rabbit anti-mouse TNF-alpha antibody in mice, starting either during pregnancy or at birth, led to a severe but transient growth retardation, already present at birth, reaching a 35% decrease in body weight at 3 wk, with complete recovery at 8 wk. The insulin growth factor I (IGF-I) blood levels were decreased to about 50%; growth hormone release and other endocrine functions were unaltered. A marked atrophy of the thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes was also observed, with lymphopenia and impaired development of T and B cell peripheral lymphoid structures. The pathways involving TNF-alpha in IGF-I release and early body growth are probably distinct from those by which TNF-alpha participates in early development of lymphoid tissues, where its low physiological release may contribute to enhance lymphoid cell expansion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: de Kossodo
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Grau
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Daneva
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pointaire
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fossati
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ody
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zapf
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Piguet
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Gaillard
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vassalli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone