title: Lymphoid alterations and impaired T lymphocyte reactivity in experimental renal hypertension.
abstract: Alterations in the number and reactivity of thymic and splenic lymphocytes were studied during the development of experimental renal hypertension in Sprague-Dawley rats. The mitotic responses of thymocytes and splenic T and B lymphocytes were tested by the T cell mitogen concanavalin A and the B cell mitogen dextran sulfate 3, 8, 12, and 36 days after the initiation of hypertension. At 3 days, hypertensive rats showed a fourfold increase in plasma corticosteroid levels, marked thymic atrophy, and a 50% reduction in the total number of thymocytes. The mitotic reactivity of the cells remaining in the organ was depressed 60% when compared to sham-operated controls. At 8 days a similar reduction in thymus size was accompanied by similarly decreased lymphocyte populations. Twelve days after initiation of hypertension structural recovery of the gland, lymphoid proliferation, and slightly increased thymocyte populations were observed. Differences with sham-operated controls were, however, still remarkable. Hypertensive rats sacrificed at 36 days showed thymus hypertrophy, and the thymocyte populations were larger than those of sham-operated animals. Despite the fluctuations in the number of thymocytes registered during the development of renal hypertension, the impaired mitotic reactivity of these cells to concanavalin A was sustained throughout the 36 days of the experiment. A similar reduction in the total number of cells and a similar depression in T lymphocyte reactivity was observed in the spleen between 8 and 36 days of hypertension. In contrast, after an initial depressed response, splenic B lymphocytes showed a slight but sustained increase in reactivity throughout the entire experimental period. These results indicate that with evolving renal hypertension there is a reduction in the number of lymphocytes as well as a depression in the ability of the remaining T lymphocytes to react with concanavalin A. Since T lymphocytes are important regulators of immunological homeostasis, this reduction in T cell reactivity may suggest the existence of an immunological imbalance accompanying the development of experimental renal hypertension.
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D006973:Hypertension; D006977:Hypertension, Renal / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D012083:Renin