Autor: DINIZ, E. R.

Orientador: REIS, D. D.

Outros autores: GUIMARÃES, A R D; GUERRA, L B; FARIA, A M C;;

Linhas de pesquisa no CNPq: CIÊNCIAS BIOLÓGICAS / IMUNOLOGIA

Unidade: INSTITUTO DE CIÊNCIAS BIOLÓGICAS
Departamento: MORFOLOGIA

Palavras-Chave: RESTRAINT-STRESS - THYMUS - 6-OH-DOPAMINE

It is well accepted in the literature that immunological activity is modulated by hormones and neuropeptides. Experimental models of stress have been used to study such interactions that can be mediated by the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and/or by the sympathetic autonomic nervous system innervatting lymphoid organs. We developed an experimental model of chronic restraint stress in which 6-week-old BALB/c mice were maintained under restraint during 7 consecutive days, 2 hours per day. During this period mice presented diarrhea and leucocyte infiltration in the skin, in association with epidermis slimming and hair loss. At day 6 of stress, animals presented thymyc involution, with about 30 % of weight decrease. Pre-treatment of mice with 6-OH-dopamine, a drug that induces chemical sympathectomy, severely enhanced thymic involution and inhibited alopecia by 100 %. Histological analysis of thymus from 6-OH-dopamine pre-trated mice showed intense fibrosis, specially in the cortical region. Thymocytes and splenocytes from these group of animals are currently being immunophenotyped and analysed by flow citometry. Our results suggest that the sympathetic nervous system is involved in the stress-induced alterations as well as in the maintenance of a normal thymic architecture.

Apoio: CNPq e FAPEMIGp>