info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Role of thymulin on the somatotropic axis in vivo
Fecha
2012-09Registro en:
Reggiani, Paula Cecilia; Martines, Eliana V.; Camihort, Gisela A.; Poch, Brenda; Goya, Rodolfo Gustavo; et al.; Role of thymulin on the somatotropic axis in vivo; Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd; Life Sciences; 91; 5-6; 9-2012; 166-171
0024-3205
CONICET Digital
CONICET
Autor
Reggiani, Paula Cecilia
Martines, Eliana V.
Camihort, Gisela A.
Poch, Brenda
Goya, Rodolfo Gustavo
Cónsole, Gloria M.
Resumen
Aims: There is clear evidence for the existence of a bi-directional thymus-somatotropic axis and several studies suggest that the thymic peptide thymulin may be involved in this communication. We undertook to assess the impact of serum thymulin immunoneutralization in C57BL/6 mice and that of neonatal thymulin gene therapy (NTGT) in nude mice on body weight (BW) gain and on the histomorphometric profile of the somatotrope population. Main methods: Immunoneutralization of thymulin was done from postnatal day 1 to 35 by i.p. injections of rabbit anti-thymulin serum (α-FTS) and normal rabbit serum (NRS) in controls. NTGT was implemented in nudes using an adenoviral vector expressing a synthetic gene for thymulin (RAd-FTS). On postnatal day 1, heterozygous (nu/+) and homozygous (nu/nu) pups received a single bilateral i.m. injection either RAd-FTS or RAd-GFP (a control vector expressing green fluorescent protein). BW gain was recorded and at the end of the study the pituitaries were immunostained for growth hormone (GH). Serum GH and thymulin were determined by radioimmunoassay and bioassay, respectively. Key findings: Thymulin immunoneutralization induced a significant decrease in BW gain, serum GH and somatotrope cell density as well as an increase in somatotrope cell size. NTGT markedly increased BW gain, serum thymulin (P < 0.01) and somatotrope cell and volume density in nu/nu mice. Significance: Our results suggest that thymulin plays a relevant physiological role on the thymus-somatotropic axis in mice.