title: Influence of growth hormone on the immunosuppressive effect of prednisolone in mice.
abstract: Growth hormone can be used to counteract some catabolic effects of long-term administration of glucocorticoids, such as impairment of growth in children and osteoporosis. However, owing to its immunostimulatory properties the hormone may counteract the effect of glucocorticoids on the immune system. To investigate this question we administered different doses of hGH (4, 8, 40 IU/kg) to C57/Bl/6J mice treated for two days with prednisolone, and evaluated thymus and spleen parameters and natural killer activity. Growth hormone at the dose of 4 and 8 IU/kg reversed prednisolone-induced reduction of spleen and thymus weight and cellularity, whereas the highest dose showed to be immunosuppressive in itself. Two days after treatment withdrawal, a recovery of spleen parameters was evident, whereas the thymus was still suppressed by preceding prednisolone or hGH (40 IU/kg) treatments. The pattern of natural killer activity displayed by the splenocytes resembled that present under treatment. In a second experiment prednisolone, administered for 10 days, drastically reduced the number of viable spleen and thymus cells as well as the relative spleen and thymus weights, an effect reversed by concomitant administration of hGH (0.8, 4, 8 IU/kg). Natural killer activity, which was significantly depressed by prednisolone, was restored by the intermediate GH dose only. The 8 IU/kg GH dose was immunosuppressive in itself.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Chemotherapy and Toxicology, University of Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Marelli
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lattuada
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Locatelli
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cocchi
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects*; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009929:Organ Size; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D013006:Growth Hormone; D011239:Prednisolone