Effect Of Pineal Gland And Melatonin On IL-7 Expression Of Rat Thymic Epithelial Cells

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of pinealectomy(PX)and melatonin supplementation on IL-7 expression by rat thymic epithelial cells (TEC) in vivo as well as the function of melatonin in vitro, to understand the mechanism about how pineal gland and melatonin give rise to the effect on thymocytes differentiation and development, further reveal the relation between pineal gland and thymus, so enrich the research of neuroendocrine-immune system.Methods①Primarily cultured thymic matrix cell by digestion were purified by distinct adherence and digestion, then immunostained with anti-pan-cytokeratin.②MTT was applied to investigate the growth of cultured TEC with melatonin treatment; IL-7 mRNA expression was assessed by semiquantitative RT-PCR .③Rat models of PX were established: 110 clean male rats of two months old was divided into five groups: normal control group, sham operation group, pinealectomized group, pinealectomy+7.5mg·kg-1·day-1 MLT group, pinealectomy +15mg·kg-1·day-1 MLT group, and took the thymus out in 4th week and 8th week, rats of pinealectomized group were injected with normal sodium in the same volume as other groups.④Immunohistochemistry and semiquantitative RT-PCR was applied to observe IL-7 expression in thymus in rat models of PX and PX with melatonin supplementation.Results①More than 90% cultured and purified thymic matrix cells in vitro were certificated as TEC;②Melatonin made no difference on TEC growth, but IL-7 mRNA expression in...