Enhanced production of B lymphocytes after castration.
Castration has long been recognized to stimulate thymic growth and augment cellular immunity. We sought to determine whether castration affects B lymphopoiesis by analyzing the phenotype of bone marrow and spleen cells from animals postcastration. In this report, we show that the bone marrow cells from castrated male mice show a sustained, twofold to threefold increase in numbers of B220+/IgM- cells and of newly formed B220+/IgM+ B cells. Most of the expanded B220+/IgM- cell population consisted of small, HSAhi, CD43- cells characteristic of pre-B cells. The castrated animals also showed increased numbers of splenic B cells, primarily consisting of small IgM+, IgDlo, B220lo, HSAhi cells. Taken together, these results show that castration causes dramatic, long-lived enhancement of B lymphopoiesis in bone marrow and increased numbers of mature B cells in the periphery.
Wilson
C A
CA
Biogen, Inc, Cambridge, MA 02142.
Mrose
S A
SA
Thomas
D W
DW
D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009919:Orchiectomy; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000032:analysis; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D015851:Interleukin-7; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D020395:Receptors, Interleukin-7; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens