Thymic extracts and lymphokine-containing supernatant fluids stimulate the pituitary-adrenal axis, but not cerebral catecholamine or indoleamine metabolism.
Injection of thymosin fraction 5 (TF5) or the supernatant fluid from concanavalin A-stimulated rat spleen cells into mice significantly increased plasma concentrations of corticosterone at 1 or 3 h. However, measurement of the concentrations of the catecholamines, norepinephrine and dopamine, the indoleamine, serotonin, and their major metabolites, in prefrontal cortex, parietal cortex, nucleus accumbens, septum, caudate-putamen, hypothalamus, and brain stem did not indicate any statistically significant changes. Nor was there any alteration in splenic norepinephrine content. These data suggest that TF5 and lymphokines do not cause a generalized stress response, but rather a selective activation of the pituitary-adrenal axis, probably by causing release of adrenocorticophic hormone from the pituitary. There was no evidence that the corticotropin-releasing activity of TF5 was related to an effect on hypothalamic biogenic amines. These data are discussed in the light of previous results obtained with lymphokine-containing supernatant fluids.
Dunn
A J
AJ
Department of Neuroscience, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville 32610.
Hall
N R
NR
D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D002474:Cell-Free System; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D013947:Thymosin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
D002395:Catecholamines; D008222:Lymphokines; C033782:thymosin fraction 5; D015102:3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid; D012701:Serotonin; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D013947:Thymosin; D003345:Corticosterone