MODULATION OF CELLULAR-IMMUNITY BY A LESION OF THE LATERAL HYPOTHALAMIC AREA (LHA) IN RATS

The subject of our investigation was the effect of bilateral damage to the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) on the cellular immune response ( CIR), assessed by measuring the diameter of skin infiltration (DSI) 24 and 48 h after intradermal administration of tuberculin in adult male Wistar rats, previously immunized with BCG vaccine. It has been shown that: 1) in the hypothalamo-lesioned rats (HLR) DSI measured 24 and 4 8 h after tuberculinization did not differ, 2) in the sham-operated ra ts (SOR) DSI measured 48 h after tuberculin injection was significantl y higher (p < 0.02) than that found 24 h after the antigen administrat ion, 3) the damage-induced loss of body weight and the 24-48 h differe nce in DSI in the responders of the HLR group correlated negatively wi th each other (r = -0.806, p < 0.05). These results indicate that dama ge to the LHA enhances the rate of formation, but not the maximal size , of the tuberculin-induced skin infiltration. Thus, the LHA seems to be involved in the regulation/modulation of processes engaged in the e xpression of tuberculin reaction.