Immune and neuroendocrine response to restraint in male and female rats.
A parallel study of the modification in the opioid and immunological systems induced by acute restraint (RT) was carried out in male and female rats 24 hr after the treatment. beta-Endorphin-like immunoreactivity (beta-ELI) was measured in two brain areas (ventral hypothalamus [HYP] and periaqueductal gray matter [PAG]) and in the pituitary (anterior and neurointermediate lobes), together with plasma corticosterone (C) and ACTH. Immune function was measured as mitogen-induced Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production by splenocytes. RT reduced beta-ELI levels in the PAG in males and females. Plasma levels of C and ACTH did not differ from the basal levels in restrained animals. RT reduced IFN-gamma production in both sexes, but this effect was more marked in females than in males. The possible relationship between the immune and opioid system is discussed.
Farabollini
F
F
Istituto di Fisiologia Umana, Università di Siena, Italy.
Albonetti
M E
ME
Aloisi
A M
AM
Facchinetti
F
F
Grasso
G
G
Lodi
L
L
Lupo
C
C
Muscettola
M
M
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000502:physiology*; D005239:Fear / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000502:physiology; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000502:physiology; D011598:Psychoneuroimmunology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D012737:Sex Factors; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000502:physiology*
D001615:beta-Endorphin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003345:Corticosterone