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Thymic Hormones in Thymus Recovery from Radiation Injury

  • Conference paper
Experimental Hematology Today—1985

Part of the book series: Experimental Hematology Today ((HEMATOLOGY,volume 1985))

  • 30 Accesses

Abstract

The effect of a thymic hormone, thymosin fraction 5 (TF5), in restoring immunocompetence in the thymus of γ-irradiated mice was examined. Three different mouse strains were used in this study, since previous work has established that the response to TF5 varies in different strains. To measure the rate of recovery of immunocompetent cells in the thymus, the responsiveness to comitogenic effect of interleukn-1 (IL-1) was used. This assay was chosen since it has been established that only more mature PNA−, Lytl+2− medullary cells respond to this monokine. Contrary to several earlier reports that radioresistant cells repopulating the thymus within the first 10 days after irradiation are mature, corticosteroid resistant, immunocompetent cells, the thymic cells from irradiated mice in all strains used had greatly reduced responses to IL-1. Daily intraperitoneal injections of TF5 increased significantly the responses of thymic cells to IL-1 in 107#x2013;13 weeks old C57Bl/KsJ, C3H/HeJ, and DBA/1 mice. Older mice, 5 months or more in age, of DBA/1 strain did not respond to treatment with TF5. However, C3H/HeJ mice of the same age were highly responsive. In conclusion, (a) cells repopulating the thymus within 12 days after irradiation contain lower than normal fraction of mature IL-1 responsive cells, (b) thymic hormones increase the rate of recovery of immunocompetent cells in the thymus, and (c) the effect of thymic hormones is strain and age dependent.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Experimental Hematology Department, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, 20814-5145, USA

    Dr. Ruth Neta, Gretchen N. Schwartz, Thomas J. MacVittie & Susan D. Douches

Authors
  1. Dr. Ruth Neta
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  2. Gretchen N. Schwartz
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  3. Thomas J. MacVittie
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  4. Susan D. Douches
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Physiology Department, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, 20814, Bethesda, MD, USA

    S. J. Baum

  2. Laboratory of Microbiology and Immunology, National Institute of Dental Research, NIH, 29782, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Dov H. Pluznik

  3. Department of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel

    L. A. Rozenszajn

  4. Department of Medical Laboratories, Meir Hospital, Kfar-Sava, Israel

    L. A. Rozenszajn

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© 1986 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Neta, R., Schwartz, G.N., MacVittie, T.J., Douches, S.D. (1986). Thymic Hormones in Thymus Recovery from Radiation Injury. In: Baum, S.J., Pluznik, D.H., Rozenszajn, L.A. (eds) Experimental Hematology Today—1985. Experimental Hematology Today, vol 1985. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4920-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-4920-7_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-387-96273-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-4920-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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