title: Neonatal androgenization affects the intrathymic T-cell maturation in rats.
abstract: The thymus structure, expression of CD4/CD8/TCRalphabeta on thymocytes and thymocyte proliferative and apoptotic indexes were analyzed in sexually immature 30-day-old and in sexually mature 60-day-old female rats neonatally androgenized (NA) by subcutaneous injection of 500 microg testosterone propionate/day on days 1-3 and in their vehicle-administered counterparts. The treatment affected normal thymus development. Thus, at 30 days of age, there was a reduction in the thymus weight, reflecting a decrease in the main thymic compartments. However, at 60 days of age, thymus weight did not significantly differ from that in age-matched controls, since the cortical volume enlargement was followed by a proportional decrease in the medullary volume. In rats of both ages, the changes in thymic compartments most likely reflected alterations in the size of both lymphoid and nonlymphoid components. Furthermore, in NA rats, substantial changes in thymocyte phenotypic characteristics were registered, in spite of their age. In both groups of NA rats, a decrease in the relative proportion of the least mature CD4-8-TCRalphabeta- cells and in that of CD4+8- TCRalphabeta-/TCRalphabeta(low) cells followed by an increase in the percentage of their successor CD4+8+TCRalphabeta-/TCRalphabeta(low) cells was detected. In addition, in 30-day-old NA rats, the relative proportions of CD4+8+TCRalphabeta(high) cells (just positively selected) and that of mature single positive (CD4+8- and CD4-8+) and CD4-8- double negative TCRalphabeta(high) cells, were reduced, while in 60-day-old NA rats only the percentage of CD4+8+TCRalphabeta(high) thymocytes was decreased. Thus, the study showed that the changes in the development of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis induced by neonatal androgenization may affect the thymus development and intrathymic T-cell maturation.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Research Center 'Branislav Janković', Institute of Immunology and Virology 'Torlak', Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro. Gordana.Leposavic@pharmacy.bg.ac.yu
authors.forename: Gordana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leposavić
authors.forename: Branka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pejcić-Karapetrović
authors.forename: Dusko
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kosec
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002452:Cell Count; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D014770:Virilism / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D013739:Testosterone