Biomaterial Database

Effects of thymectomy on blood neutrophils phagocytic activity and phagocytic response in mice. 1996

I Baciu, and A Felegean, and T T Maghiar, and C Hozan, and M Albu

University of Oradea, Center of Physiological Research, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

The role of the thymus in maintenance of the basal phagocytosis of blood neutrophils and eliciting the phagocytic response, induced by i.v. Escherichia coli, was studied in 9 NMRI thymectomized and in 12 control mice. Thymectomy depresses the percentage of phagocyting neutrophils from 70.91 +/- 0.9 (mean +/- SEM) in controls, to 61.49 +/- 2.33 in the thymectomized rats. Phagocytic activity, as assessed by the number of bacteria engulfed by 100 neutrophils, was also lower in thymectomized mice (114.42 +/- 7.52) than in controls (163.71 +/- 4.53). A phagocytic response to i.v. Escherichia coli could nevertheless be noted in thymectomized mice, their phagocytic activity rising from the basal activity of 114.42 +/- 7.52 to 142.19 +/- 5.40 three hours after injection of Escherichia coli, while in control animals this activity rose from 163.71 +/- 4.53 to 216.46 +/- 12.91. These results may, at least partially, explain the recurrent infections and the septicemia occurring in children with Down's syndrome. It is suggested that the thymus, as an endocrine organ, may be involved in maintaining the basal phagocytic activity of blood neutrophils, while the phagocytic response is modulated by extrathymic mechanisms.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008815	Mice, Inbred Strains	Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations, or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. All animals within an inbred strain trace back to a common ancestor in the twentieth generation.	Inbred Mouse Strains,Inbred Strain of Mice,Inbred Strain of Mouse,Inbred Strains of Mice,Mouse, Inbred Strain,Inbred Mouse Strain,Mouse Inbred Strain,Mouse Inbred Strains,Mouse Strain, Inbred,Mouse Strains, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Mouse,Strains, Inbred Mouse
D009504	Neutrophils	Granular leukocytes having a nucleus with three to five lobes connected by slender threads of chromatin, and cytoplasm containing fine inconspicuous granules and stainable by neutral dyes.	LE Cells,Leukocytes, Polymorphonuclear,Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes,Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils,Neutrophil Band Cells,Band Cell, Neutrophil,Cell, LE,LE Cell,Leukocyte, Polymorphonuclear,Neutrophil,Neutrophil Band Cell,Neutrophil, Polymorphonuclear,Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte,Polymorphonuclear Neutrophil
D010587	Phagocytosis	The engulfing and degradation of microorganisms; other cells that are dead, dying, or pathogenic; and foreign particles by phagocytic cells (PHAGOCYTES).	Phagocytoses
D004926	Escherichia coli	A species of gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped bacteria (GRAM-NEGATIVE FACULTATIVELY ANAEROBIC RODS) commonly found in the lower part of the intestine of warm-blooded animals. It is usually nonpathogenic, but some strains are known to produce DIARRHEA and pyogenic infections. Pathogenic strains (virotypes) are classified by their specific pathogenic mechanisms such as toxins (ENTEROTOXIGENIC ESCHERICHIA COLI), etc.	Alkalescens-Dispar Group,Bacillus coli,Bacterium coli,Bacterium coli commune,Diffusely Adherent Escherichia coli,E coli,EAggEC,Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli,Enterococcus coli,Diffusely Adherent E. coli,Enteroaggregative E. coli,Enteroinvasive E. coli,Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013934	Thymectomy	Surgical removal of the thymus gland. (Dorland, 28th ed)	Thymectomies
D013950	Thymus Gland	A single, unpaired primary lymphoid organ situated in the MEDIASTINUM, extending superiorly into the neck to the lower edge of the THYROID GLAND and inferiorly to the fourth costal cartilage. It is necessary for normal development of immunologic function early in life. By puberty, it begins to involute and much of the tissue is replaced by fat.	Thymus,Gland, Thymus,Glands, Thymus,Thymus Glands
D051379	Mice	The common name for the genus Mus.	Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus