Biomaterial Database

Effects of castration on the lymphocytes of the thymus, spleen and lymph nodes. 1998

K F Windmill, and V W Lee

School of Nutrition & Public Health, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia.

It is well known that the thymus plays an important role in the development and maintenance of a competent immune system. The thymus atrophies with age, a process that is accelerated after puberty when there is elevation of serum sex steroid levels. We have used a panel of commercial monoclonal antibodies against various T and B cell surface markers to investigate the post-castration histological alterations in the thymus, spleen and lymph nodes of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Castration of 5-week-old male rats produced a significant increase in thymic weight (P < 0.05) compared to age-matched intact animals. The major observations from the immunohistochemical studies were post-castration elevations in staining for total T cells (MRC OX 19 and W 3/13), CD8 cells (MRC OX 8), B cells (MRC OX 12 and MARK-1) and cells bearing activation markers such as IL-2 receptor (MRC OX 39), transferrin receptor (MRC OX 26) and major histocompatibility class II antigen (MRC OX 6). These data suggest that following castration there is an increase in the ability of lymphocytes to respond to activation. As a result, there are elevated numbers of immature thymocytes within the thymus that undergo differentiation/maturation and consequently produce an increase in peripheral T and B cells.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008198	Lymph Nodes	They are oval or bean shaped bodies (1 - 30 mm in diameter) located along the lymphatic system.	Lymph Node,Node, Lymph,Nodes, Lymph
D008297	Male		Males
D009919	Orchiectomy	The surgical removal of one or both testicles.	Castration, Male,Orchidectomy,Castrations, Male,Male Castration,Male Castrations,Orchidectomies,Orchiectomies
D009929	Organ Size	The measurement of an organ in volume, mass, or heaviness.	Organ Volume,Organ Weight,Size, Organ,Weight, Organ
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
D013154	Spleen	An encapsulated lymphatic organ through which venous blood filters.
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
D016130	Immunophenotyping	Process of classifying cells of the immune system based on structural and functional differences. The process is commonly used to analyze and sort T-lymphocytes into subsets based on CD antigens by the technique of flow cytometry.	Lymphocyte Immunophenotyping,Lymphocyte Subtyping,Immunologic Subtyping,Immunologic Subtypings,Lymphocyte Phenotyping,Subtyping, Immunologic,Subtypings, Immunologic,Immunophenotyping, Lymphocyte,Immunophenotypings,Immunophenotypings, Lymphocyte,Lymphocyte Immunophenotypings,Lymphocyte Phenotypings,Lymphocyte Subtypings,Phenotyping, Lymphocyte,Phenotypings, Lymphocyte,Subtyping, Lymphocyte,Subtypings, Lymphocyte
D016131	Lymphocyte Subsets	A classification of lymphocytes based on structurally or functionally different populations of cells.	Lymphocyte Subpopulations,Lymphocyte Subpopulation,Lymphocyte Subset,Subpopulation, Lymphocyte,Subpopulations, Lymphocyte,Subset, Lymphocyte,Subsets, Lymphocyte
D017207	Rats, Sprague-Dawley	A strain of albino rat used widely for experimental purposes because of its calmness and ease of handling. It was developed by the Sprague-Dawley Animal Company.	Holtzman Rat,Rats, Holtzman,Sprague-Dawley Rat,Rats, Sprague Dawley,Holtzman Rats,Rat, Holtzman,Rat, Sprague-Dawley,Sprague Dawley Rat,Sprague Dawley Rats,Sprague-Dawley Rats