title: Reward linked to increased natural killer cell activity in rats.
abstract: In rats splenic natural killer (NK) cell activity was found to be significantly higher following chronic uncontrollable electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus in fully conscious rats, compared to sham-operated rats. In a pre-test study, all rats had demonstrated that the electrode site had self-stimulating properties, which supports the possibility that the experience of reward may be implicated in NK cell activity augmentation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, National Institute of Neuroscience, Tokyo, Japan. macwenner@hotmail.com
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wenner
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004542:Ejaculation / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005243:Feces; D006120:Grooming / Q000502:physiology; D007026:Hypothalamic Area, Lateral / Q000502:physiology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008474:Medial Forebrain Bundle / Q000502:physiology; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012201:Reward; D012653:Self Stimulation; D013047:Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000276:immunology