The neuroendocrine thymus. Abundant occurrence of oxytocin-, vasopressin-, and neurophysin-like peptides in epithelial cells.
Certain subtypes of thymic epithelial cells--the medullary epithelium, the cortical surface epithelium, and some intracortical epithelial cells--show strong immunohistochemical reactivity with antisera against oxytocin, Arg-vasopressin and neurophysin. The epithelial nature of the neuropeptide containing cells is shown by their morphology and their reactivity with monoclonal anti-cytokeratin AE1/E3. Hassall's corpuscles are positive as well. The immunoreactivity patterns for the three neuropeptides are identical, suggesting a parallel distribution. The vast majority of cortical epithelial cells are negative, emphasizing the tightly controlled microenvironment for T-cell development. The possibility of a neuroendocrine role of the thymus is discussed.
Moll
U M
UM
Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, SUNY, Stony Brook 11794.
Lane
B L
BL
Robert
F
F
Geenen
V
V
Legros
J J
JJ
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004848:Epithelium / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009481:Neurophysins / Q000032:analysis*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000032:analysis*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000032:analysis* / Q000166:cytology; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000032:analysis*
D009481:Neurophysins; D014667:Vasopressins; D010121:Oxytocin; D007633:Keratins