Effects of partial decerebration and hypophyseal allograft in the thymus of chicken embryos: thymostimulin localization and enzymatic activities.
Changes in chicken embryo thymus after partial decerebration (including the hypophysis) and hypophyseal allograft were investigated. Chicken embryos were partially decerebrated at 36-40 hr of incubation and on day 12 received a hypophyseal allograft from 18-day-old donor embryos. The embryonic thymuses were collected on day 18 and examined with histological methods, tested for the anti-thymostimulin-like immune-reaction, and for histoenzymatic activities and compared with normal and sham-operated embryos at the same age. After partial decerebration, the thymic cortical and medullary compartments diminished markedly in size. Anti-thymostimulin, succinic dehydrogenase and ATPase enzymatic activities tested, yielded negative reactions. In partially decerebrated hypophyseal allografted embryos, the same thymic compartments improved and anti-thymostimulin-like immune-reaction and enzymatic activities partially recovered. These findings confirmed the key role of hypophysis in thymic ontogenic development and provided new information in metabolic enzymatic pathways and synthesis of a thymostimulin-like substance in the thymus.
Department of Human Physiology and Pharmacology Vittorio Erspamer, Faculty of Medicine, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. mariangela.aita@uniroma1.it
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D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004798:Enzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D007016:Hypophysectomy; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000637:transplantation; D013949:Thymus Extracts / Q000378:metabolism*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D004798:Enzymes; D013949:Thymus Extracts; C031407:thymostimulin