リンパ球反応のホルモン調節

抄録

The purpose of this paper is to describe the cytodynamics of lymphocytes in the adrenalectomized, gonadectomized, Steroid hormone treated and protein deficient animal. Wistar strain rats, C₅₇BL, Strong A and CF#1 mice, of both sexes, at various ages, were used in this study. The relative weight and total number of nucleated cells in the thymus, mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen was estimated by the method described previously^{15) 16)}. The content of Feulgen-DNA and fast green-histone in lymphocytes was determined by micro-spectrophotometry^17)∼22). Light and electron microscopic observations were also made on lymphoid organs, lymphocytes in particular.
1. Lymphoid hyperplasia in adrenalectomized and gonadectomized animals.
The increase in the relative weight and number of nucleated cells in the lymphoid organs following the operations was expressed as hyperplasia or regeneration of these organs.
Adrenalectomy. A marked hyperplasia of lymphoid organs was observed in male rats adrenalectomized at 30 days of age (Fig.1). only a slight hyperplasia, however, occurred in rats of both sexes adrenalectomized at 60 days of age (Fig.1). In 17 month-old female rats a remarkable regeneration of thymus and mesenteric lymph nodes was observed 12 to 15 days following adrenalectomy. In particular, the quantitative and histological findings of these thymus were much the same as those of young normal animals of 6∼8 months of age (Fig.2 ; Photos. 1, 2). In young mice, a slight hyperplasia was found in lymphoid organs following adrenalectomy. In senile female mice of 14∼22 months of age, adrenalectomy induced a marked regeneration of lymphoid organs (Table 1).
Gonadectomy. The effects of gonadectomy on lymphoid organs were observed in CF#1 and C₅₇BL mice of both sexes at various ages according to the schedule as shown in Fig.3 and Table 2. Thymus hyperplasia occurred after gonadectomy in young mice of both strains (Fig.3). However a remarkable hyperplasia of other lymphoid organs was not observed. In CF#1 mice, the degree of hyperplasia of the thymus after gonadectomy was greater in the males than in the females, but such a sex difference was not seen in C₅₇BL mice. In C₅₇BL mice, the thymus following gonadectomy at 7 days of age being compared with that at 21 days of age, the enlargement of the thymus is more prominent in the former. However, such a difference did not occur in CF#1 mice. Senile mice of both sexes at 18 months of age were subjected to gonadectom yand autopsied 14 to 30 days after the operation. The striking enlargement and regeneration of the thymus was also observed in these animals (Table 2 ; Photos. 3, 4) , but in the other lymphoid organs the regeneration was not so pronounced.