Identification of the mononuclear cell infiltrate in the superior cervical ganglion of athymic nude and euthymic rats after guanethidine-induced sympathectomy

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • P Thygesen
  • H P Hougen
  • H B Christensen
  • J Rygaard
  • O Svendsen
  • P Juul
Guanethidine sulphate 40 mg/kg intraperitoneally for 14 days induced chromatolysis and nerve cell death in the superior cervical ganglia of athymic nude (rnu/rnu) LEW/Mol rats and their euthymic (+/rnu) LEW/Mol heterozygous littermates. Histologically the sympathetic ganglia were dominated by an infiltration of small inflammatory cells. By means of monoclonal antibodies these cells were identified. The number of B-lymphocytes increased following guanethidine in both athymic and euthymic rats. The number of T-lymphocytes increased to a great extent in euthymic rats, but was virtually missing in athymic rats. The number of NK-cells and monocytes/macrophages increased in both athymic and euthymic rats. The conclusion is, that guanethidine exerts a direct effect on sympathetic ganglion cells followed by a thymus-independent immune response.
Original languageEnglish
JournalInternational Journal of Immunopharmacology
Volume12
Issue number3
Pages (from-to)327-30
Number of pages4
ISSN0192-0561
Publication statusPublished - 1990

    Research areas

  • Animals, Antibodies, Monoclonal, B-Lymphocytes, Body Weight, Cell Count, Ganglia, Sympathetic, Guanethidine, Immunoenzyme Techniques, Killer Cells, Natural, Leukocytes, Mononuclear, Male, Organ Size, Rats, Rats, Mutant Strains, Rats, Nude, Spleen, Sympathectomy, Chemical

ID: 44514488