The role of the thymus in the enhancement of humoral immunity by estrogen
Erbach, Gregory Thomas
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/19826
Description
Title
The role of the thymus in the enhancement of humoral immunity by estrogen
Author(s)
Erbach, Gregory Thomas
Issue Date
1989
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Bahr, Janice M.
Department of Study
Molecular and Integrative Physiology
Discipline
Molecular and Integrative Physiology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Biology, Animal Physiology
Health Sciences, Immunology
Language
eng
Abstract
Previous investigators have observed that estrogen enhances humoral immune responsiveness. The goal of this thesis has been to establish a physiological in vivo model in which to study this phenomenon and to characterize the role of the thymus as its mediator. An immunizing dose of 0.25 mg fluorescein conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin was found to distinguish between the anti-fluorescein responses of ovariectomized adult Lewis rats with and without estrogen replacement. This dose of immunogen was then administered to adult ovariectomized rats given physiological estrogen replacement by means of chronic subcutaneous implant and of subcutaneous injections every four days, in a factorial fashion. The four-day injection regimen of estradiol exposure, which replicates the levels and profile of serum estradiol of the rat estrous cycle, exerted a greater immunoenhancing influence than the chronic estradiol implant treatment. The cyclic regimen of estrogen replacement was used to test by factorial design the effect of thymectomy against estradiol administration in enhancing anti-fluorescein titers. It was determined that an intact thymus is required for the enhancement of in vivo humoral immune responsiveness to be observed, although receptors for estrogen in thymic tissue, when sought, could not be found. It was then determined by replacing factorially estradiol and thymosin fraction 5 (1 mg/Kg) in ovariectomized-thymectomized adult rats that estrogen increased anti-fluorescein titers only in animals given thymosin injections. These studies conclude that the thymus does not directly mediate enhanced humoral immune responsiveness by estrogen, but permits this effect of estrogen by the provision of a constitutive factor which is a component of thymosin fraction 5.
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