1. Alterations with age in peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations and cytokine synthesis in beagles
- Author
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Ohtsuka H, Yamamoto I, Arai T, Fujiwara M, and Yonezawa T
- Subjects
Veterinary medicine ,SF600-1100 - Abstract
Megumi Fujiwara,1,2 Tomohiro Yonezawa,3 Toshiro Arai,1 Ichiro Yamamoto,1 Hiromichi Ohtsuka21Laboratory of Veterinary Biochemistry, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Tokyo, Japan; 2Laboratory of Large Animal Internal Medicine, 3Laboratory of Veterinary Physiology, Kitasato University, Towada, JapanPurpose: The immune system is considered to be affected by aging, which is linked to various immune pathogeneses. The purpose of this study was to determine age-associated changes in immune function of healthy dogs (beagles), specifically those of naive and memory T lymphocytes, based on cytokine synthesis.Patients and methods: Blood samples were obtained from 44 healthy beagles that were divided into three age-groups: young (8 years). Subpopulations of T lymphocytes were determined by flow cytometry. Transcriptional (mRNA) levels of cytokines were determined for primary-cultured leukocytes using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.Results: There were negative correlations between dogs’ages and the number of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, T cells, and B cells. In particular, the number of naive CD4+ CD45RA+ T cells and CD8+ CD45RA+ T cells significantly decreased with age. The mRNA levels for interleukin (IL)-2, IL-2Rα, and interferon-gamma were significantly higher in young or middle-aged dogs (P < 0.05), whereas IL-4 mRNA expression was not significantly different over the different age-groups. IL-2Rγ mRNA expression tended to decrease with age.Conclusion: Decreases of naive CD4+ and naive CD8+ T cells may be related to age-related immunosenescence in dogs. With regard to cytokine production, leukocyte IL-4 and IL-10 mRNA levels did not change with age, whereas IL-2, IL-2Rα, and IL-2Rγ mRNA levels decreased with age. These altered cytokine mRNA expression patterns may contribute to decreased naive T-cell function(s) with aging.Keywords: aging, leukocyte subpopulation, cytokine, dog, naive T cell, IL-2R
- Published
- 2012