Effects of formalin-induced pain on ACTH, beta-endorphin, corticosterone and interleukin-6 plasma levels in rats.

The behavioral and immunoendocrine effects of formalin-induced pain were studied in male rats following a subcutaneous injection of formalin (50 microliters; 0.1%, F01 groups, 10%, F10 groups) or sham injection (control groups). After treatment, animals were tested in a transparent open field for either 30 or 60 min and thereafter sacrificed by decapitation.

Immune and endocrine aspects of social and territorial behavior in male rabbits.

Although there have been some studies of the relation between behavior and mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation and immunoglobulin synthesis, few data are available about the effect of behavior on specific lymphokine production. In this study, we describe the effect of social and territorial behaviors on interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production by concanavalin A-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in pairs of socially naive male rabbits living in a seminatural open-air environment. We also assayed PBMC glucocorticoid receptors (GcRs) and plasma corticosterone (C).

[In vitro effects of peptides of the corticostatin/defensin family on production of mitogen-induced cytokines].

Cytokines are autocrine, paracrine and endocrine glycoproteins that interact with specific cell receptors and have pleiotropic effects. Increasing evidence indicates that cytokines, immune interferon (IFN-gamma) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) among others, modulate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function. Corticostatins/defensins are a family of cationic peptides recently isolated from phagocytic cells of myeloid lineage.