[en] Monoclonal antibodies to oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (VP) revealed some positively staining stromal cells in the subcapsular cortex and in the medulla of the human thymus. We further demonstrated that these cells are a subset of epithelial endocrine cells and also contain immunoreactive interleukin-1 together with the neuropeptides. In addition, the thymic cells stained by monoclonal antibodies directed to the cyclic part of oxytocin or vasopressin also contained some immunoreactive neurophysins. These data support the concept of intrathymic synthesis of neurohypophyseal-like peptides fitting the hypothalamic model. However, we observed that, contrary to the situation in the brain, OT- and VP-like peptides colocalized in the same thymic cells. Furthermore, one monoclonal antibody, specific for the tail part of oxytocin, did not label thymic cells. Therefore, thymic neuropeptide(s) could be related to, but distinct from, authentic OT and VP. These observations suggest some molecular differences between hypothalamic and thymic oxytocin biosynthetic pathways which need to be further investigated.
Disciplines :
Immunology & infectious disease
Author, co-author :
Robert, Françoise
Geenen, Vincent ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Centre d'immunologie - Embryologie
Schoenen, Jean ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Neuro-anatomie
Burgeon, Etienne
De Groote, Donat
Defresne, Marie-Paule ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Anatomie et cytologie pathologiques
Franchimont, Paul
Language :
English
Title :
Colocalization of immunoreactive oxytocin, vasopressin and interleukin-1 in human thymic epithelial neuroendocrine cells
Publication date :
1991
Journal title :
Brain, Behavior and Immunity
ISSN :
0889-1591
eISSN :
1090-2139
Publisher :
Academic Press, Orlando, United States - Florida
Volume :
5
Pages :
102-115
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
European Scientific Foundation Fund for Medical Scientific Research (Belgium) ULiège FSR - Université de Liège. Fonds spécial pour la recherche
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