Publication: Chronic a1-adrenoreceptor blockade
produces age-dependent changes in rat
thymus structure and thymocyte differentiation
Authors
Plecas-Soloravic, B. ; Hristic-Zivkovic, I. ; Radojevic, K. ; Kosec, D. ; Leposavic, G.
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Publisher
Murcia : F. Hernández
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DOI
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info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Description
Abstract
In order to examine the influence of chronic
a1-adrenergic receptor (a1-AR) blockade on the thymus
structure and T-cell maturation, peripubertal and adult
male rats were treated with urapidil (0.20 mg/kg BW/d;
s.c.) over 15 consecutive days. Thymic structure and
phenotypic characteristics of the thymocytes were
assessed by stereological and flow cytometry analysis,
respectively. In immature rats, treatment with urapidil
reduced the body weight gain and, affecting the volume
of cortical compartment and its cellularity decreased the
organ size and the total number of thymocytes compared
to age-matched saline-injected controls. The percentage
of CD4+8- single positive (SP) thymocytes was
decreased, while that of CD4-8+ was increased
suggesting, most likely, a disregulation in final steps of
the positively selected cells maturation. However, a1-
AR blockade in adult rats increased the thymus weight
as a consequence of increase in the cortical size and
cellularity. The increased percentage of most immature
CD4-8- double negative (DN) cells associated with
decreased percentage of immature CD4+8+ double
positive (DP) thymocytes suggests a decelerated
transition from DN to DP stage of T-cell development.
As in immature rats, the treatment in adult rats evoked
changes in the relative numbers of SP cells, but contrary
to immature animals, favoring the maturation of CD4+8-
over CD4-8+ thymocytes. These results demonstrate
that: i) chronic blockade of a1-ARs affects both the
thymus structure and thymocyte differentiation, ii) these
effects are age-dependent, pointing out to
pharmacological manipulation of a1-AR-mediated
signaling as potential means for modulation of the
intrathymic T-cell maturation.
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