title: Effect of interferon on human thymus microenvironment.
abstract: Interferon, a thymic immunostimulator, was used with the aim of assessing the importance of adrenergic nerve fibers (ANF) and/or AChE-positive nerve fibers (AChENF) in the regulation of some immunological functions in humans. Thymic normal control fragments and/or thymic fragments of immunostimulated patients were removed during surgical biopsies. Thymic slices were stained with eosin-orange (for the recognition of microanatomical details of the microenvironment) and with Bodian's method for staining of nerve fibers. Histofluorescence microscopy was employed for staining ANF. AChENFs were detected by means of the direct-coloring thiocholine method. All images were submitted to quantitative morphometrical analysis and statistical comparisons of data. Moreover, the amount of proteins and noradrenaline was measured on thymic homogenates of the same patients. Treatment with interferon induces substantial changes in the thymic microenvironment, on ANF, on AChENFs and on the total amount of proteins and noradrenaline in thymic tissue homogenates. In conclusion immunostimulation with interferon induces substantial changes in the whole thymus and in its microenvironment, involving both sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve fibers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology of Natural Molecules and General Physiology, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Artico
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cavallotti
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Tranquilli Leali
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falconi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cavallotti
mesh_terms: D018663:Adrenergic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018663:Adrenergic Agents; D007372:Interferons; D009638:Norepinephrine