title: Sex differences in lectin-induced interleukin-2 synthesis in aging rats.
abstract: Several aspects of T cell-mediated immune responses decline with age, but it is not known how gender affects this decline. Using 3- and 26-month-old male and female Fischer 344 rats, we examined the effects of sex and age on four different immune events that normally decline during aging: antibody synthesis to a T-dependent antigen, lectin-induced proliferative responses, IL-2 synthesis, and natural killer activity. We found that all these responses decreased with age. Spleen cells from aged females had higher spontaneous, phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and concanavalin A (Con A)-induced proliferative responses, and a two-fold increase in IL-2 synthesis than aged males, although no differences in these responses were evident between young males and females. Both natural killer (NK) activity and the ability to generate plaque-forming cells to sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) declined with age, but there were no differences between males and females for these responses in either age group. These data indicate that sex-associated differences in IL-2 synthesis and spontaneous and lectin-induced proliferative responses that are not detected in young animals become evident with advancing age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Davila
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kelley
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007107:Immune System; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000032:analysis; D037102:Lectins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D012727:Sex Characteristics
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D037102:Lectins; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D003208:Concanavalin A