Abstract
This study investigated the immune alterations induced in rats by an aversive conditioned stimulus (CS), which had been developed through pairings with electric shock. The results showed that the CS induced pronounced alterations of splenic lymphocyte function as indicated by a reduction in the mitogenic responsiveness to the T-cell mitogens concanavalin-A (Con-A) and phytohemag-glutinin (PHA) and the B-cell mitogen lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a reduction in interleukin-2 production, and a reduction in natural-killer-cell activity. The magnitude of the immune alterations was dependent on the time interval between the training and testing of the CS. There was little evidence of an immunomodulatory effect of the CS 1 day following training, but the effect developed as the interval between training and test was extended (3, 6, and 12 days). In contrast, a mitogen-stimulation assay using blood lymphocytes showed a reduction in the mitogenic responsiveness to Con-A and PHA that was comparable across the days following training. These results establish a time-dependent, compartment-specific, CS-induced immunomodulatory effect.
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This work was supported by a grant to Donald T. Lysle from the National Institute of Mental Health (MH46284).
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Lysle, D.T., Maslonek, K.A. Immune alterations induced by a conditioned aversive stimulus: Evidence for a time-dependent effect. Psychobiology 19, 339–344 (1991). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332090
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332090