Biomaterial Database

Endogenous glucocorticoids induced by a chemical stressor (ethanol) cause apoptosis in the spleen in B6C3F1 female mice. 1998

S D Collier, and W J Wu, and S B Pruett

Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State 39762, USA.

Stress-induced increases in glucocorticoid levels can cause-apoptosis in immature thymocytes, but it is not known if glucocorticoids at these levels can also cause apoptosis in peripheral lymphocytes. In the present study, mice were exposed to ethanol (EtOH) in a model designed to represent binge drinking. This induces a substantial stress response, including an increase in corticosterone levels. Apoptosis in the spleen was evaluated using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) with fluorescein-labeled dUTP. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated a significant increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells in the spleen 2-6 h after administration of EtOH (3-6% apoptotic cells in treated mice vs 0.2-2% in controls). This increase was blocked by the glucocorticoid antagonist, RU 486, and administration of exogenous corticosterone in a manner that produced similar blood levels and kinetics as noted in EtOH-treated mice produced similar levels of apoptosis. Fluorescein-labeled Annexin V was used to confirm increased numbers of apoptotic cells in the spleen in EtOH-treated mice. These results indicate that stress-induced glucocorticoids are sufficient to induce apoptosis in the spleen, and this may be one mechanism by which stress responses cause immunosuppression.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007279	Injections, Subcutaneous	Forceful administration under the skin of liquid medication, nutrient, or other fluid through a hollow needle piercing the skin.	Subcutaneous Injections,Injection, Subcutaneous,Subcutaneous Injection
D008809	Mice, Inbred C3H	An inbred strain of mouse that is used as a general purpose strain in a wide variety of RESEARCH areas including CANCER; INFECTIOUS DISEASES; sensorineural, and cardiovascular biology research.	Mice, C3H,Mouse, C3H,Mouse, Inbred C3H,C3H Mice,C3H Mice, Inbred,C3H Mouse,C3H Mouse, Inbred,Inbred C3H Mice,Inbred C3H Mouse
D008810	Mice, Inbred C57BL	One of the first INBRED MOUSE STRAINS to be sequenced. This strain is commonly used as genetic background for transgenic mouse models. Refractory to many tumors, this strain is also preferred model for studying role of genetic variations in development of diseases.	Mice, C57BL,Mouse, C57BL,Mouse, Inbred C57BL,C57BL Mice,C57BL Mice, Inbred,C57BL Mouse,C57BL Mouse, Inbred,Inbred C57BL Mice,Inbred C57BL Mouse
D009929	Organ Size	The measurement of an organ in volume, mass, or heaviness.	Organ Volume,Organ Weight,Size, Organ,Weight, Organ
D002452	Cell Count	The number of CELLS of a specific kind, usually measured per unit volume or area of sample.	Cell Density,Cell Number,Cell Counts,Cell Densities,Cell Numbers,Count, Cell,Counts, Cell,Densities, Cell,Density, Cell,Number, Cell,Numbers, Cell
D002492	Central Nervous System Depressants	A very loosely defined group of drugs that tend to reduce the activity of the central nervous system. The major groups included here are ethyl alcohol, anesthetics, hypnotics and sedatives, narcotics, and tranquilizing agents (antipsychotics and antianxiety agents).	CNS Depressants,Depressants, CNS
D003345	Corticosterone	An adrenocortical steroid that has modest but significant activities as a mineralocorticoid and a glucocorticoid. (From Goodman and Gilman's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 8th ed, p1437)
D004305	Dose-Response Relationship, Drug	The relationship between the dose of an administered drug and the response of the organism to the drug.	Dose Response Relationship, Drug,Dose-Response Relationships, Drug,Drug Dose-Response Relationship,Drug Dose-Response Relationships,Relationship, Drug Dose-Response,Relationships, Drug Dose-Response
D005260	Female		Females
D005434	Flow Cytometry	Technique using an instrument system for making, processing, and displaying one or more measurements on individual cells obtained from a cell suspension. Cells are usually stained with one or more fluorescent dyes specific to cell components of interest, e.g., DNA, and fluorescence of each cell is measured as it rapidly transverses the excitation beam (laser or mercury arc lamp). Fluorescence provides a quantitative measure of various biochemical and biophysical properties of the cell, as well as a basis for cell sorting. Other measurable optical parameters include light absorption and light scattering, the latter being applicable to the measurement of cell size, shape, density, granularity, and stain uptake.	Cytofluorometry, Flow,Cytometry, Flow,Flow Microfluorimetry,Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting,Microfluorometry, Flow,Cell Sorting, Fluorescence-Activated,Cell Sortings, Fluorescence-Activated,Cytofluorometries, Flow,Cytometries, Flow,Flow Cytofluorometries,Flow Cytofluorometry,Flow Cytometries,Flow Microfluorometries,Flow Microfluorometry,Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting,Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sortings,Microfluorimetry, Flow,Microfluorometries, Flow,Sorting, Fluorescence-Activated Cell,Sortings, Fluorescence-Activated Cell