title: Prenatal endocrine activation alters postnatal cellular immunity in infant monkeys.
abstract: Cellular immune responses were evaluated in 35 infant rhesus monkeys generated from two types of pregnancy conditions. Pregnant females were administered either saline or adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) for 2 weeks between Days 120 and 133 postconception, approximately 1 month before parturition. After birth, lymphocytes obtained from infants in the ACTH condition failed to respond as readily to allogeneic cells in mixed lymphocyte cultures, proliferated less to Con A, exhibited lower suppressor function following stimulation with Con A, and showed lower cytolytic activity against target cells. For some measures, the prenatal effect was observed more consistently in male infants. Differences were evident with these in vitro immune assays through 6 months of age, indicating that acute disturbance during the prenatal period can have lingering effects on postnatal immunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, USA.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Coe
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Lubach
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Karaszewski
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Ershler
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000502:physiology*; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008934:Mitogens; D003208:Concanavalin A; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone