Effect of dehydroepiandrosterone on mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production in young and old F344 rats.
The steroid hormone intermediate, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), has been proposed as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of immunosenescence in mouse model. In the present study, the in vitro effect of DHEA on mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production was evaluated in a rat model. Spleen lymphocytes were isolated from young (4-6 months) and old (24-26 months) F344 rats and were incubated with DHEA for 30 min. The induction of lymphocyte proliferation, interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production by concanavalin A (Con A) was measured in a culture medium supplemented with either fetal calf serum (FCS) or with serum-free medium (Nutridoma-SR, N-SR). The induction of lymphocyte proliferation and IL-2 production by Con A decreased significantly with age, whereas induction of IFN-gamma increased with age. Treatment of lymphocytes with DHEA did not significantly alter Con A-induced proliferation or the production of IL-2 or IFN-gamma by spleen lymphocytes isolated from either young or old rats. These data indicate that in vitro DHEA treatment appears to have no immunomodulatory effect on the age-related changes in mitogen-induced proliferation or cytokine production in rat lymphocytes.
Pahlavani
M A
MA
Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, USA.
Harris
M D
MD
D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D007376:Interleukin-2; D003208:Concanavalin A; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D007371:Interferon-gamma