Reward linked to increased natural killer cell activity in rats.
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.
Wenner
M
M
Department of Immunology, National Institute of Neuroscience, Tokyo, Japan. macwenner@hotmail.com
Kawamura
N
N
Ishikawa
T
T
Matsuda
Y
Y
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