Pinealectomy inhibits interleukin-2 production and natural killer activity in mice.
Four--five-week-old C57BL/6 mice were surgically pinealectomized. At different time intervals after surgery their spleens were removed and assayed for interleukin-2 (IL-2) production and natural killer (NK) cell activity. Non-operated and sham-operated mice were used as controls. The present results indicate that pinealectomy significantly reduced IL-2 production and NK cell activity, in comparison to sham-operated mice. These effects seem to be related to the lack of melatonin. In fact the subcutaneous injection of this hormone (50 or 100 mg/kg at 5 p.m.) in pinealectomized mice was able to restore IL-2 production and NK cell activity. However, chronic treatment with melatonin (10, 20 and 50 mg/kg for 9 consecutive days) failed to reverse the impairment of the immune responses.
del Gobbo
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V
Department of Experimental Medicine, II University of Rome, Italy.
Libri
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V
Villani
N
N
Caliò
R
R
Nisticò
G
G
D000818:Animals; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery
D007376:Interleukin-2; D008550:Melatonin