Direct stimulation of the pituitary by transfer of activated leucocytes.
Some strains of rat develop arthritis, and have profoundly elevated adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and corticosterone, following intradermal injection of an adjuvant containing heat-killed mycobacteria. Transfer to syngeneic recipients of immune spleen (IS) cells taken from arthritic rats 14 days after injection of the adjuvant, but not of non-immune cells, causes increased circulating ACTH and increased pituitary proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA. Transfer of immune cells does not transfer the disease, but does protect recipients from subsequent challenge with the adjuvant. In these immune-protected rats, the secondary immune response raises ACTH and POMC to levels similar to those seen in arthritic rats. These data show that endogenous inflammatory mediators have direct actions on the neuroendocrine system.
Department of Cystic Fibrosis, Brompton Hospital, London, UK.
R A
RA
Knight
A
A
Stephanou
N J
NJ
Sarlis
H S
HS
Chowdrey
S L
SL
Lightman
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017708:Leukocyte Transfusion; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone