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Reis MDDS, Veneziani LP, Porto FL, Lins MP, Mendes-da-Cruz DA, Savino W. Intrathymic somatotropic circuitry: consequences upon thymus involution. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1108630. [PMID: 37426675 PMCID: PMC10323194 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1108630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Growth hormone (GH) is a classic pituitary-derived hormone crucial to body growth and metabolism. In the pituitary gland, GH production is stimulated by GH-releasing hormone and inhibited by somatostatin. GH secretion can also be induced by other peptides, such as ghrelin, which interacts with receptors present in somatotropic cells. It is well established that GH acts directly on target cells or indirectly by stimulating the production of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs), particularly IGF-1. Notably, such somatotropic circuitry is also involved in the development and function of immune cells and organs, including the thymus. Interestingly, GH, IGF-1, ghrelin, and somatostatin are expressed in the thymus in the lymphoid and microenvironmental compartments, where they stimulate the secretion of soluble factors and extracellular matrix molecules involved in the general process of intrathymic T-cell development. Clinical trials in which GH was used to treat immunocompromised patients successfully recovered thymic function. Additionally, there is evidence that the reduction in the function of the somatotropic axis is associated with age-related thymus atrophy. Treatment with GH, IGF-1 or ghrelin can restore thymopoiesis of old animals, thus in keeping with a clinical study showing that treatment with GH, associated with metformin and dehydroepiandrosterone, could induce thymus regeneration in healthy aged individuals. In conclusion, the molecules of the somatotrophic axis can be envisioned as potential therapeutic targets for thymus regeneration in age-related or pathological thymus involution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Danielma dos Santos Reis
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luciana Peixoto Veneziani
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- INOVA-IOC Network on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Felipe Lima Porto
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marvin Paulo Lins
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniella Arêas Mendes-da-Cruz
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- INOVA-IOC Network on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Wilson Savino
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian National Institute of Science and Technology on Neuroimmunomodulation (INCT-NIM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Rio de Janeiro Research Network on Neuroinflammation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- INOVA-IOC Network on Neuroimmunomodulation, Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Min C, Min H, Kemei P, Ke X, Haibo H, Daiyun Z, Xinting Z. Expression of somatostatin and cDNA cloning in the thymus of the African ostrich. Acta Histochem 2014; 116:191-6. [PMID: 23915476 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2013.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2013] [Revised: 06/30/2013] [Accepted: 07/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The thymus in addition to being a central lymphoid organ is also an endocrine organ which produces various neuropeptides that influence the function of this gland. Somatostatin is a neuropeptide that was isolated initially in the hypothalamus and which inhibits the release of growth hormone. The distribution of somatostatin-producing cells and the sequence of somatostatin have been determined in many species. In the present study, we investigated the expression of somatostatin in the thymus of the African ostrich and its sequence by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. The results showed that somatostatin mRNA was expressed in the thymus and somatostatin immunoreative cells were distributed in both the cortical and medullary regions of the thymus. Results of cDNA cloning revealed that the nucleotide sequence and the encoded protein of African ostrich somatostatin were 348 bases and 116 amino acids in length and that it is highly conserved to that of other reported species. These findings indicated that the somatostatin expressed in the thymus of ostrich might play an important role in the function of the gland. In addition, this research has provided novel molecular data allowing further study of somatostatin in the ostrich.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Min
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, PR China; Xinyang College of Agriculture and Forestry, Xinyang 464000, Henan, PR China.
| | - He Min
- Xinyang College of Agriculture and Forestry, Xinyang 464000, Henan, PR China
| | - Peng Kemei
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, PR China.
| | - Xiao Ke
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, PR China
| | - Huang Haibo
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, PR China
| | - Zhu Daiyun
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, PR China
| | - Zheng Xinting
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, PR China
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Mignini F, Sabbatini M, D'Andrea V, Cavallotti C. Neuropeptides of human thymus in normal and pathological conditions. Peptides 2011; 32:920-8. [PMID: 21291932 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2011.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2010] [Revised: 01/20/2011] [Accepted: 01/20/2011] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Human thymus of healthy subjects and patients affected by thymoma-associated Myastenia Gravis were studied in order to visualize and compare the morphological distributive pattern of four neuropeptides: vasoactive intestinal peptide, substance P, neuropeptide Y, and neurotensin. Based on our observations, we formulated hypotheses on their relations in neuro-immunomodulation under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Immuno-histochemical staining for neuropeptides was performed and morphological and morphometrical analyses were conducted on healthy and diseased thymus. In normal thymus, a specific distributive pattern was observed for the several neuropeptide-positive nerves in different thymus lobular zones. In particular substance P-positive fibers were observed in subcapsular zone, specifically located into parenchyma, where they represent the almost total amount of fibers; neurotensin-positive fibers were observed primarily located in parenchyma than perivascular site of several thymus lobular zones, and more abundant the cortico-medullary and medullary zones. Instead VIP- and NPY-positive fibers were widely distributed in perivascular and parenchymal sites of several thymus lobular zones. In thymoma, the distribution of neuropeptide-positive fibers was quantitatively reduced, while cells immunopositive to VIP and substance P were quantitatively increased and dispersed. Observation of the perivascular and parenchymal distribution of the analyzed neuropeptides suggests evidence that a regulatory function is performed by nerves and cells that secrete neuropeptide into the thymus. The alteration of neuropeptide patterns in thymoma suggests that these neurotransmitters play a role in autoimmune diseases such as Myastenia Gravis.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Mignini
- Anatomia Umana, Scuola di Scienze del Farmaco e dei Prodotti della Salute, Università di Camerino, Italy.
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Silva AB, Palmer DB. Evidence of conserved neuroendocrine interactions in the thymus: intrathymic expression of neuropeptides in mammalian and non-mammalian vertebrates. Neuroimmunomodulation 2011; 18:264-70. [PMID: 21952678 DOI: 10.1159/000329493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The function of lymphoid organs and immune cells is often modulated by hormones, steroids and neuropeptides produced by the neuroendocrine and immune systems. The thymus intrinsically produces these factors and a comparative analysis of the expression of neuropeptides in the thymus of different species would highlight the evolutionary importance of neuroendocrine interaction in T cell development. In this review, we highlight the evidence which describes the intrathymic expression and function of various neuropeptides and their receptors, in particular somatostatin, substance P, vasointestinal polypeptide, calcitonin gene-related peptide and neuropeptide Y, in mammals (human, rodent) and non-mammals (avian, amphibian and teleost), and conclude that neuropeptides play a conserved role in vertebrate thymocyte development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto B Silva
- Infection and Immunity Group, Department of Veterinary Basic Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
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