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Environmental influence on age-related changes of human lymphocyte membrane viscosity using severe combined immunodeficiency mice as an in vivo model.
- Source :
-
Experimental gerontology [Exp Gerontol] 1998 Aug; Vol. 33 (5), pp. 485-98. - Publication Year :
- 1998
-
Abstract
- Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of healthy elderly people show increased plasma membrane viscosity compared to young subjects, that inversely correlates with lymphocyte proliferation after mitogen stimulation in vitro. Maintenance of a constant membrane viscosity, which is necessary for proper cell function, is crucially dependent on the membrane lipid composition. The cellular lipid metabolism, and thus lymphocyte function, may be subject to modulation by diet or drugs. To study the susceptibility of membrane viscosity to environmental conditions, we established an in vivo model using severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice: human peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy young and old subjects were engrafted for three days intraperitoneally into SCID mice to offer identical environmental conditions. First, we demonstrate that human lymphocytes can take up and utilize murine lipoproteins: engrafted human PBL can participate in the mouse lipid metabolism, and an exchange of membrane lipids in vivo is, therefore, possible. Second, plasma membrane viscosity was determined before and after engraftment: before engraftment, PBL from the elderly showed a significantly higher membrane viscosity than that from young controls, but this difference vanished during engraftment into SCID mice, wherein cells from both age groups exhibited nearly identical values. It was, therefore, concluded that lymphocyte membrane viscosity is influenced by environmental factors, and that the age-related increase is, in principle, reversible.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Aged
Animals
Anticholesteremic Agents pharmacology
Binding, Competitive
Cell Transplantation physiology
Female
Humans
Leukocyte Common Antigens immunology
Leukocytes, Mononuclear drug effects
Lipoproteins metabolism
Lipoproteins pharmacokinetics
Lipoproteins pharmacology
Lipoproteins, LDL metabolism
Lovastatin pharmacology
Lymphocyte Subsets cytology
Lymphocyte Subsets physiology
Lymphocytes cytology
Lymphocytes metabolism
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred BALB C
Mice, SCID
Receptors, LDL metabolism
T-Lymphocytes cytology
T-Lymphocytes immunology
T-Lymphocytes physiology
Aging physiology
Cell Membrane physiology
Lymphocytes physiology
Membrane Fluidity
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0531-5565
- Volume :
- 33
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Experimental gerontology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 9762526
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/s0531-5565(98)00011-4