Murzenok_1998_Eur.Cytokine.Netw_9_263

The time course of IL-1beta effects on autonomic nervous activity and the functional state of lymphocytes in the rat thymus (15, 120 min and 24 hours) was studied. At 15 and 120 min after IL-1beta administration, an elevation of corticosterone (CS) in blood plasma, an increase in catecholamine (CA) content and a decrease in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in thymic nerve fibers were observed as compared to intact and vehicle-treated animals. At 120 min, the percentage of T lymphocytes decreased in the thymus and increased nonsignificantly in the blood, as evaluated by flow cytometry. During this period, the proliferative response of thymocytes to mitogen was twice as high in animals treated with IL-1beta or vehicle as compared to intact rats, but did not differ 15 min and 24 hours later. Treatment with dexamethasone (DEX) prior to the administration of IL-1beta prevented the CS increase, diminished the CA increase and enhanced AChE activity in nerve fibers, and led to inhibition of the proliferative response of thymocytes to mitogen. Thus, IL-1beta induces substantial changes in the neuro-humoral supply of the rat thymus. The direction of the immune function changes depends on the balance between the CS content in blood, and CA and AChE activity in the nerve fibers of the rat thymus.