Proliferation and cytotoxicity of thymus lymphocytes in vitro

The proliferative and cytolytic activity of lymphocytes from the spleen and intact thymus was compared after alloimmunization. The number of living cells and of DNA-synthesizing cells in a monoculture of thymocytes was 90–97% less, and in a mixed culture of thymus cells about 80% less that the corresponding number of spleen cells. The index of stimulation of immune thymocytes was several times greater than that of immune spleen cells. The peak of cytotoxicity was observed on the fourth to fifth day of stimulation, when the cytolytic activity of the immune thymocytes was close to the activity of immune spleen cells. The low DNA synthesis and the considerable cytotoxic activity of the immune thymocytes mean that stimulation of thymus cells in vitro can be used to obtain a cell population with a high content of cytolytic T lymphocytes.Laboratory of Systemic Blood Diseases, Oncologic Scientific Center, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR O. V. Baroyan.) Translated from Byulleten Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 84, No. 9, pp. 330–333, September, 1977.     

Effect of dimethylsulfate on the structure and cytoarchitectonics of rat thymus

Changes of structure and cell ratios of different functional zones in the thymus under conditions of long-term dimethylsulfate administration at 0.1 and 2.0 mg/m³ on the organism are studied morphometrically on histological preparations from Wistar rats. Cyclic reactions of the thymus to the toxic substance are found to be due to compensatory processes. It is shown that the nature of the reaction does not depend on the concentration of toxic substance but that the extent of changes is a function of the dimethylsulfate concentration. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 119, N ^o 1, pp. 96–100, January, 1995     

Effect of interferon on the structural organization of rat thymus

Changes in the thymus of male Wistar rats were studied under a light microscope at various times after intranasal administration of α-interferon. The relative mass of the organ, the cortex volume, the total number of cells, the number of small and medium lymphocytes, and the number of mitoses decrease 14 days after interferon administration. At the same time, the number of macrophages, neutrophils, mature plasmacytes, eosinophils, and erythrocytes increases, and mast cells appear. Thus, α-interferon probably suppresses the formation of T cells, facilitates allergization of the organism, and increases the permeability of the vascular endothelium. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 12, pp. 609–612, December, 1994     

Morphofunctional transformations in the thymus and lymph nodes after irradiation with a helium-neon laser

Morphological transformations occurring in the thymus and lymph nodes are studied in Wistar rats after irradiation of the thymus projection area and transcutaneous irradiation of peripheral blood with a low-energy helium-neon laser during a 7-day period. Irradiation of the thymus projection area stimulates lymphopoiesis in T-dependent zones of lymph nodes, while irradiation of peripheral blood increases lymph flow through lymph node parenchyma and activates B-dependent zones. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 123, No. 5, pp. 588–590, May, 1997     

A low-molecular-weight homogeneous fraction of the thymus stimulating immunogenesis

The effect of a purified acetic acid extract of thymus (thymarin) and of three of its fractions obtained by ion-exchange chromatography, and consisting of individual substances of polypeptide nature, on the immune response was studied in mice immunized with sheep's erythrocytes. Thymarin and one of its fractions with a molecular weight of about 5000 were shown to have a marked stimulating action on the thymus-dependent immune response (the formation of cells producing IgM and IgG antibodies and the circulating antibody level).Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR V. I. Ioffe.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 84, No. 7, pp. 56–58, July, 1977.     

Effect of hydrocortisone on amine content in the thymus

Intraperitoneal injection of 2.5% hydrocortisone suspension (0.5 ml) changes the content of biogenic amines in different lobule zones and thymocytes of high animals. The content of norepinephrine and serotonin increases in luminescent cells of the subcapsular and premedullary zones and decreases in mast cells. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 123, No. 6, pp. 677–679, June, 1997     

Elimination of stress-induced changes in the thymus within laser irradiation of the endocrine glands

Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 116, N ^o 10, pp. 360–362, October, 1993     

Stimulation and suppression of contact dermatitis in mice by low-molecular-weight thymus humoral factor

The effect of a low-molecular-weight lymphocytosis-stimulating substance (LSS) from the thymus on the development of contact sensitivity to picryl chloride was investigated in mice. Small doses of LSS were found to potentiate, whereas large doses suppressed this type of delayed hypersensitivity. Contact sensitivity can be transferred passively by means of lymph node and spleen cells isolated on the 6th day after immunization. The experiments showed that mice receiving large doses of LSS contain cells which suppress the passive transfer of contact sensitivity by immune cells. This suppression was absent after treatment of the cells with -antiserum and complement. It is concluded that the suppressor cells influence the effector phase of contact sensitivity.Laboratory of Immunochemistry of Hormones, Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ministry of Health of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. N. Gorev.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 85, No. 5, pp. 572–575, May, 1978.     

Effect of physiologically active substances isolated from the thymus on wound healing after cryosurgical destruction in rats

Experiments were carried out on 40 male albino rats after whole-body irradiation in a dose of 200 R to study the effect of thymarin, a preparation obtained from bovine thymus and consisting of a combination of three fractions of physiologically active polypeptides with a mean molecular weight of about 10,000 on the course of local wound healing after cryosurgical destruction of the mucous membrane of the hard palate. Thymarin was injected subcutaneously daily for 10 days after cryosurgical destruction. The experimental results reveal a beneficial effect of thymarin on the course of regeneration and, in particular, more rapid sloughing of necrotic tissues, a shortening of the period of epithelization of the wound surface, and prevention of the development of secondary infection.Department of Surgical Stomatology, I. P. Pavlov First Leningrad Medical Institute, S. I. Vavilov State Optical Institute, Leningrad. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. I. Rybakov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 84, No. 9, pp. 355–358, September, 1977.     

Effect of antiserotonin antibodies on functional activity of T and B lymphocytes and peritoneal macrophages

Experiments on C57Bl/6 mice showed that antiserotonin antibodies injected intraperitoneally in a dose of 25 mg/kg or added to cell culture in a dose of 10⁻⁷ mol/ml suppress lymphocyte proliferative response to pokeweed mitogen and stimulate functional activity of macrophages. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 125, No. 2, pp. 140–142, February, 1998     

Comparative indirect immunofluorescence study of myoid cells of the embryonic and adult human thymus

It was shown by the indirect immunofluorescence method that the lower content of muscle antigens in the myoid cells of the embryonic than in the adult human thymus is due to the higher secretory activity of these cells in the early stages of embryogenesis. Because of the increased secretory activity of the myoid cells the internal medium of the embryonic thymus contains more common antigens with muscle tissue than the adult human thymus. The fact that the functional activity of the myoid cells correlates during individual development with the rate of formation of lymphoid tissue confirms the view that heteroorganic antigens provide the lymphocytes of the thymus with information of the structure of autoantigens necessary for the formation of natural immunologic tolerance to them.Laboratory of Streptococcal Infections, N. F. Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR O. V. Baroyan.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 86, No. 11, pp. 616–620, November, 1978.     

Effect of tactivin on formation of conditioned and manifestation of unconditioned avoidance reflexes in august rats

Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 113, No. 4, pp. 397–399, April, 1992.     

Development of endocrine and lymphocytopoietic functions of the thymus in human embryogenesis

The endocrine function of the thymus develops earlier than lymphocytopoietic. Thymalin is produced by epithelial cells in the thymus primordium. It is released into the blood and regulates differentiation of T lymphocytes in the liver, the initial hemopoietic organ. The hormonal and lymphopoietic functions of human thymus are united on weeks 7.5–8 of embryonic life. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 130, No. 10, pp. 453–456, October, 2000     

Effect of the hydra peptide morphogen on cell proliferation in the thymus of newborn rats exposed to prenatal hypoxia

Female rats were exposed to high-altitude hypoxia on days 14–19 of pregnancy. Thirty min before hypoxia the animals were injected with the hydra peptide morphogen in a dose of 10 μg/kg intraperitoneally. Prenatal exposure to hypoxia suppressed proliferative processes in thymic cortex and medulla in newborn rats and decreased the lymphocyte count in the female—newborn rat pairs and the percent of full-term deliveries. Injection of hydra peptide morphogen prevented the development of posthypoxic disorders in newborn rats. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 124, No. 9, pp. 348–350, September, 1997     

Morphological and functional relations between the thymus and adrenals in inbred mice

A morphological investigation was made of the thymus, adrenals, and spleen of mice belonging to the CBA, C57BL/6, and AKR lines, and the immunologic reactivity of the mice to the sex antigen of a skin graft was studied together with determination of the plasma corticosterone level. A narrower cortical layer in the thymus, wide thymus-dependent zones in the spleen, and a higher corticosterone level were observed in CBA mice than in C57BL/6 and AKR mice, and no reaction was found in the former to sex antigen of the skin graft. Adrenalectomy on CBA mice led to a sharp increase in width of the cortex of the thymus, the appearance of numerous lymphatic follicles in the spleen, and the development of an immunologic reaction to sex antigen of the skin graft. In B mice of the CBA line atrophy of the adrenal cortex was observed, with a sharp decrease in the concentration of sudanophilic lipids.Departments of Pathological Anatomy and Microbiology, Smolensk Medical Institute. (Presented by Academician of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. N. Zhukov-Verezhnikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 85, No. 5, pp. 591–594, May, 1978.     

Morphological analysis of the thymus of albino rats with tumors for experimental chemotherapy alone and in combination with activator influences of an alternating magnetic field

A study of the histological structure and cell composition of the thymus in rats with ascitic ovarian tumors for chemotherapy alone and in combination with an alternating magnetic field, which induces an antistressor adaptive response in the organism, showed that an alternative magnetic field potentiates the antitumor effect of thioTEPA and protects the thymus from toxic damage caused by high doses of chemotherapy. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 118, N ^o 11, pp. 535–539, November, 1994 Presented by N. V. Vasil'ev, Member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences     

Main lymphoid subpopulations and their mitogenic response after lethal irradiation and transplantation of syngeneic bone marrow from young and old donors

The recovery of T-lymphocyte subpopulations depends on the age of the stem cell donor. After transplantation of bone marrow cells from old donors, the CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ cell counts decrease, while the number of cells with the memory cell phenotype (CD4⁺CD44^high) in the CD4⁺-lymphocyte population increases. Lymphocyte proliferation in irradiated mice does not depend on the age of the stem cell donor. Our findings indicate that bone marrow stem cells change with age and transfer information regarding the donor's age. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 122, No. 9, pp. 301–304, September, 1996     

Role of the hormonal status of the father in involution of the thymus in the progeny

This study was aimed at assessing the consequences of the influence of exogenous androgens on the epididymal sperm of fathers for their progeny. A single injection of testosterone or dihydrotestosterone to adult rats caused a transient increase of the level of the corresponding androgen, later leading to augmentation of the androgen-dependent organs and loss of thymus weight. Hyperandrogeny and earlier age-associated involution of the thymus were observed in the male progeny of androgenized males of reproductive age. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 121, No. 5, pp. 562–564, May, 1996