Increased prostaglandin E2 production by concanavalin A-stimulated splenocytes of old mice.
Production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) was examined in splenocyte cultures of C57BL/6J mice aged between 1 and 34 months. A significant increase in PGE2 production, in response to polyclonal stimulation by concanavalin A, was found after 24 and 48 h of incubation in all age groups. However, activated splenocytes taken from mice of the oldest group (28-34 months) produced 2- to 3-fold greater amounts of PGE2, as compared with the younger groups, and a trend towards an age-associated increase was apparent from the age of 18 months onwards. No significant age-related difference in PGE2 levels was observed in unstimulated cultures. The results obtained conform to the hypothesis that PGE2 is involved in the age-related changes in lymphocyte functions. Increased PGE2 production in response to mitogenic stimuli may affect the profile of cytokines and may limit cell-mediated immune responses in aging, such as lymphocyte proliferation and natural killer cell activity.
Fraifeld
V
V
Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Kaplanski
J
J
Kukulansky
T
T
Globerson
A
A
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012016:Reference Values; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
D003208:Concanavalin A; D015232:Dinoprostone