Inflammatory macrophages, epithelioid cells and macrophage polykaryons were obtained on the surface of round glass coverslips inserted into the subcutaneous tissue of mice and removed at different intervals. About 90 per cent of the macrophages and polykaryons express IgG, C and non-specific surface receptors, involved in phagocytosis, up to 15 days after coverslip implantation. In 21-day-old lesions, about 50 per cent of these cells lose the IgG resed with IgM and complement but do not incorporate these particles and are poorly phagocytic for glutaraldehyde-treated horse red blood cells. The ultrastructural study of these cells demonstrates that they are macrophages which have undergone epithelioid transformation. Whole-body irradiation of mice bearing implanted coverslips of 7 days duration reveals that 6 days after irradiation, the great majority of macrophages and multinucleate cells have acquired epithelioid characteristics. It is suggested that the loss of immunological receptors during epithelioid transformation in granulomas may protect bacteria and be disadvantageous to the host.
Background/Aim: Prolactin (PRL), a hormone produced by the pituitary gland, has multiple physiological functions, including immunoregulation. PRL can also be secreted in response to stressful stimuli. During stress, PRL has been suggested to oppose the immunosuppressive effects of inflammatory mediators. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of short- and long-term hyperprolactinemia on the inflammatory response in rats subjected to acute or chronic cold stress. Methods: Inflammatory edema was induced by carrageenan in male rats, and hyperprolactinemia was induced by injections of the dopamine receptor antagonist domperidone. The volume of inflammatory edema was measured by plethysmography after carrageenan injection. Additionally, the effects of hyperprolactinemia on body weight and serum corticosterone levels were evaluated. Results and Conclusion: Five days of domperidone-induced hyperprolactinemia increased the volume of inflammatory edema. No differences in serum corticosterone levels were observed between groups. No significant differences were found among 30 days domperidone-induced hyperprolactinemic animals subjected to acute stress and the inflammatory response observed in chronic hyperprolactinemic animals subjected to chronic stress. The results suggest that short-term hyperprolactinemia has pro-inflammatory effects. Because such an effect was not observed in long-term hyperprolactinemic animals, PRL-induced tolerance seems likely. We suggest that short-term hyperprolactinemia may act as a protective factor in rats subjected to acute stress. These data suggest that hyperprolactinemia and stress interact differentially according to the time period.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.