title: [Cold stress induces the suppression of splenic NK cell activity and the c-fos expression in rat brain].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of cold stress on the splenic NK cell activity and the c-fos expression in rat brain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rats were maintained in cold chamber at 4 degrees for 4 h. The 51Cr release assay from YAC-1 cells was used to determine the splenic NK cell activity and the double staining of ABC method was employed to observe the immunoreactive expression of Fos, arginine-vasopressin and tyrosine hydroxylase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cold stress could induce a marked suppression of splenic NK cell activity and a significant expression of Fos protein in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus(PVN), as well as in the brainstem locus coeruleus (LC). Double staining showed c-expression of Fos and arginine-vasopressin in some of PVN neurons, and co-expression of Fos and tyrosine hydroxylase in the majority of LC neurons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The vasopressinergic neurons in PVN and the catecholaminergic neurons in LC might be probably involved in the suppression of splenic NK cell activity induced by cold stress.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Suzhou University, Suzhou 215007, China.
authors.forename: Xing-hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Shi-yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase