Somatostatin modulates T cells development in adult rat thymus.
It is well known that somatostatin modulates thymic functions, such as binding to receptors. In order to elucidate the influence of somatostatin on the thymus architecture and the T cells maturation, young adult male rats were treated with somatostatin-28. The results showed that somatostatin-28 decreased thymus weight and cellularity, probably due to alterations in the thymic morphometric parameters. Our results also demonstrated that SRIH treatment reduces number of cells with undetectable alphabetaTCR and cells with low expression of alphabetaTCR, while the number of TCRalphabeta(hi) cells remains approximately the same as the values obtained from the control rats. Besides, in the least mature thymocytes (DNTCR TCRalphabeta(-)) and among the most mature the SPCD4 TCRalphabeta(hi) subset remained unaltered, while SPCD8 TCRalphabeta(hi) decreased. At last, it should be noted that SRIH treatment increases DN thymocytes subsets expressing TCRalphabeta(low/hi) (TCRalphabeta(+)). These results suggest that somatostatin-28 induces reshaping of T cells maturation and, at least partly, contributes to thymic weight loss, through the modulation of the complex neuroendocrine-immune network.
Petrović-Djergović
Danica M
DM
Institute of Immunology and Virology "Torlak", Immunology Research Center "Branislav Jankovic", Vojvode Stepe 458, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
Rakin
Ana K
AK
Kustrimović
Natasa Z
NZ
Ristovski
Jasmina S
JS
Dimitrijevic
Ljiljana A
LA
Mileva
Mićić V
MV
D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002452:Cell Count; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation / Q000187:drug effects; D009490:Neurosecretory Systems / Q000187:drug effects; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000378:metabolism; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D053561:Somatostatin-28 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C115977:Sstr2 protein, rat; D053561:Somatostatin-28