IMMUNOLOGICAL DEPRESSION IN SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS

Google Scholar
  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 40  (1) , 120-126
Abstract
Cell-mediated immunity was investigated in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The thymuses of young SHR rats before developing hypertension had reduced numbers of immature T [thymus-derived] lymphocytes which were detected by the rosette formation test with guinea-pig erythrocytes in the presence of fetal bovine serum, whereas the thymuses of 8 other rat strains tested contained about 60% of rosetting cells. The number of rosetting cells decreased progressively with age. The blastogenic responses to PHA [phytohemagglutinin] and Con[concanavalin] of the SHR rats'' lymphocytes was depressed to less than 1/5 when compared to those of other rat strains including W/Mk rats, the original colony of the SHR rats. SHR rats at 8 mo. old showed fewer mitogenic rsponses than those of 2 mo. old SHR rats. Other cell-mediated immune responses, including delayed hypersensitivity, allograft rejections, and a co-operation of T and B [bone marrow-derived] lymphocytes to produce humoral antibody formation were depressed significantly when compared to those of other rat strains. Possible mechanisms of immunological depression in the SHR rats in relation to the development of hypertension were discussed.