ISSN:
1420-9071
Keywords:
Calcium
;
T lymphocytes
;
aging
;
psychosocial stress
;
overcrowding
;
animal housing
;
lymphocyte activation
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract Intracellular calcium concentration is a sensitive marker of the homeostasis of living cells, and its increase is an essential step of T lymphocyte activation. Changes in the environment provoke an adaptive stress-response of the organism. In our present work we have investigated the effect of chronic overcrowding on resting and lectin-stimulated cytoplasmic free calcium concentration of splenic T lymphocytes from young and aged CBA/CA mice (50 animals total). The animals were kept under ‘normal’ (68 cm2/animal) or ‘overcrowded’ (22 cm2/animal) conditions for 3 months. Young animals showed no change in resting and stimulated calcium after overcrowding. T cells from aged mice, however, displayed significantly smaller levels of both resting and lectin-stimulated intracellular calcium concentration (p〈0.01 each), as compared to those of the non-stressed, aged animals. This inadequate adaptation in the calcium metabolism of T lymphocytes may significantly contribute to the diminished immune response of the aged in stress.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01921751
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