Thymus lymphocytes in uraemic rats and the effect of thymosin fraction 5 in vivo.
Thymus lymphocyte subsets in uraemic rats were studied using monoclonal antibodies. Severe and moderate uraemia was induced in rats, and sham-operated and normal rats were used as the controls. As a result, the weight of the thymus decreased in uraemic rats. As for lymphocyte subsets, the frequency of W3/25+OX8+ decreased and those of W3/25-OX8-, W3/25+OX8- and W3/25- OX8+ relatively increased in uraemic rats. All these changes were more significant in severely uraemic than in moderately uraemic rats. When thymosin fraction 5 (TF5) was administered to severely uraemic rats, the weight of the thymus increased and the lymphocytes subsets normalized. These results suggest that uraemia may cause a maturational impairment of thymus lymphocytes by the depression of thymic hormone secretion.
Ikemoto
S
S
Department of Urology, Osaka Teishin Hospital, Japan.
Kamizuru
M
M
Hayahara
N
N
Okamoto
S
S
Wada
S
S
Kishimoto
T
T
Maekawa
M
M
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000032:analysis; D001835:Body Weight; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013947:Thymosin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000473:pathology; D014511:Uremia / Q000276:immunology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D013947:Thymosin