Lesions of the medial septal nucleus produce a long-lasting inhibition of T lymphocyte proliferation.
The influence of the central cholinergic system on the immune system was studied in Wistar rats by lesioning the medial septal nucleus. This lesion inhibited T cell proliferation of splenocytes and thymocytes induced by the mitogens concanavalin A (Con A), phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) up to 25 days and did not affect proliferation at 40 days after lesioning. In contrast, the response to the B cell mitogen lipopolysaccharide from E. coli (LPS) was not affected at any time. These findings suggest a regulatory role of the cholinergic medial septal nucleus on T lymphocyte proliferation.
Labeur
M
M
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Técnicas (CONICET-Argentina), Universidad de Buenos Aires.
Nahmod
V E
VE
Finkielman
S
S
Arzt
E
E
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012016:Reference Values; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology; D013997:Time Factors