Age-related Changes in p56lck Protein Levels and Phenotypic Distribution of T Lymphocytes in Young Rats
Date
2005-03Author
Hosea, Heather J.
Rector, Edward S.
Taylor, Carla G.
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
p56lck is involved in the maturation of T-cells from double negative
(DN) into double positive (DP) T-cells. The objective of this experiment was to
determine changes in the levels of thymic and splenic T-cell
p56lck using Western
immunoblotting, along with the proportion and number of T-cell subsets in thymus,
spleen and blood using flow cytometry in growing Sprague-Dawley rats. Thymic
p56lck levels were negatively correlated with age
(r=-0.42,
p=0.04) and positively
correlated with age in the spleen (r=0.50, p=0.01).
Nine-week-old rats had
a higher percentage of thymic DN and CD8 cells with fewer DP cells compared
to younger rats. There were minor differences in the proportions of T-cell subsets
in the spleen and blood. T-cell numbers remained proportional to body weight in
the lymphoid organs; however, the lower absolute number of
T-cells in the younger rats might indicate that they are less able to respond to antigens.