Abstract
In order to study the effects of serotonin (5-HT) on splenic and blood immune functions, male and female F344 rats (5-6 and 21-23 mo old) received the selective 5-HT releaser and reuptake inhibitor, d-FEN (0.6-1.8 mg/kg/day, p.o.) for 30-44 days. d-FEN significantly increased the relative level of splenic as well as peripheral blood large granular lymphocytes (LGL) in not only old females (1.6x) but also young males (2.3x). In addition, d-FEN significantly increased base-line and recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) stimulated YAC-1 killing (NK activity) by young male (1.4x) and old female (1.8x) spleen ocytes. d-FEN only increased (1.7-2.4x) NK cytotoxicity in the old females. The data indicate that in the F344 rat 5-HT modulates the NK component of the immune system in an age and sex dependent manner. The closer correlation of LGL elevation and functional NK activity in the spleen versus peripheral blood may indicate that d-FEN induces a greater compartmental increase in mature LGLs in the spleen than in blood. High concentrations of 5-HT and its metabolite 5-HIAA, 5-HT immunoreactive processes, as well as 5-HT recognition and reuptake sites have been found in the spleen. Morphological and biochemical evidence thus supports the view that 5-HT can play an important role in the regulation of NK-mediated immune functions.
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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Lorens, S.A., Petrovic, L., Hejna, G., Dong, X.W., Clancy, J. (1993). The Stimulatory Effects of D-Fenfluramine (D-Fen) on Blood and Splenic Immune Functions in the Fischer 344 Rat Are Age and Sex Dependent. In: Vanhoutte, P.M., Saxena, P.R., Paoletti, R., Brunello, N., Jackson, A.S. (eds) Serotonin. Medical Science Symposia Series, vol 5. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1920-7_39
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1920-7_39
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