CATECHOLAMINES MODULATE CHICKEN IMMUNOGLOBULIN-M AND IMMUNOGLOBULIN-GPLAQUE-FORMING CELLS

Norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (E) function as chemical messenger s in the central nervous and the endocrine systems of the chicken. The effects of in vivo and in vitro exposure of NE and E on IgM and IgG s plenic plaque-forming cell (pfc) formation were determined to the anti gen SRBC. Six-week-old Line UNH 105 New Hampshire chickens were inject ed i.v. with NE (500 mug/kg BW) or E (100 mug/kg BW) followed by 1 mL of 5% SRBC 30 min later. Five days after antigen injection, IgM and Ig G pfc were assayed. Compared with controls, in vivo NE suppressed (P < .05) IgM and IgG pfc formation. In vitro NE treatment of splenic lymp hocytes reduced (P < .05) IgM pfc but did not affect IgG pfc numbers. In vivo treatment with E increased (P < .05) IgM pfc whereas in vitro E exposure increased (P < .05) IgM pfc. Immunoglobulin G pfc were supp ressed (P < .05) by both in vivo and in vitro E exposure. The presence of surface receptors for NE and E on splenic lymphocytes was determin ed using in vitro incubation with antagonists to alpha and beta recept ors. These data suggest that there are alpha and beta receptor sites o n lymphocytes for NE and E, and that these catecholamines have a regul atory role in plaque cell proliferation.