title: Neuroendocrinology of the thymus.
abstract: The neuropeptides oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) are synthesized in the human thymus in a similar way as in the hypothalamo-neurophypophyseal system. Immunocytochemistry with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies revealed that immunoreactive OT- and VP-producing cells are localized in the subcapsular cortex and medulla of human and murine thymuses. The epithelial nature of the neuroendocrine thymic cells is demonstrated by their immunostaining with a monoclonal antibody against cytokeratin. An original example of a neuroendocrine-immune microenvironment is given by the thymic nurse cells which are composed of a large neuroendocrine epithelial cell enclosing numerous mitotic immature thymocytes. These observations and the previously reported mitogenic and immunomodulatory properties of VP and OT upon mature T cells and thymocytes strongly support the existence of a neuroendocrine thymo-lymphoid axis and an active role of thymic VP and OT in T cell differentiation and activation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Radioimmunologie, Unité de Neuroendocrinologie, CHU-B23, Université de Liège-Sart Tilman, Belgique.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Geenen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Defresne
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boniver
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Legros
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Franchimont
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides