title: Age-related capacity of neuroendocrine factors to differentiate T cells in vitro.
abstract: The present report shows the capacity of hypothalamic extract (HE) to differentiate bone marrow cells to Thy-1+ cells in vitro. A two-step short-term culture was used. In the first step thymus and pituitary were co-cultured in the presence of HE. Supernatant was then transferred to a bone marrow cell suspension and following a period of culture, the percentage of Thy-1+ cells was determined by a microcytotoxicity assay. Results indicated that: (a) HE from young mice show a very efficient differentiating capacity; (b) HE from young mice is equally efficient when old pituitary, thymus and marrow are used; (c) HE from old donors has no capacity to differentiate T cells; (d) there is a progressive age-related decline of this capacity; and (e) there is a feed-back mechanism involved in this process. It is concluded that hypothalamic factors can regulate the differentiation of T cells and that this effect operates through a mechanism involving pituitary and thymus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Esquivel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rivas
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mena
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barria
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Folch
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology; D014020:Tissue Extracts / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D014020:Tissue Extracts