Participation of the thymus in controlling cytomedine activity
Kalashnikov, S.G.; Kuznik, B.I.; Tsybikov, N.N.
Patologicheskaia Fiziologiia i Eksperimental'naia Terapiia 1: 57-60
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0031-2991 PMID: 2717235 Document Number: 334812
The authors studied the effect of the thymus on the composition and biological activity of cytomedines--mediators of intercellular interactions contained in the tissues. Samples of the liver, muscle, and spleen of thymectomized rats lacked some components of the polypeptide system which were found in these organs of animals subjected to sham operation and castration. Thymalin injection restored the initial polypeptide pattern. The factors studied also differed in biological activity: polypeptide factors isolated from organs of animals which underwent a sham operation stimulated the immunity of thymectomized rats, peptides from organs of thymectomized animals, in contrast, did not possess this property.