2 research outputs found
Induction of Apoptosis in Thymocytes by Prostaglandin E2 In Vivo
In vivo administration in mice of a synthetic analog of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) caused a
selective and dramatic decrease of CD4+CD8+ double-positive, CD3/T-cell-receptor-αb10
cells in the thymus. This loss was corticosteroid-independent and not affected by
Cyclosporin A. The disappearance of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes was strictly correlated with
the induction of apoptosis inside the thymus as shown by morphological studies and by
the induction of intracellular transglutaminase expression. Considering that PGE2 has
been found to be produced by different cell populations inside the thymus, these results
indicate that PGE2 may act as endogenous signals for apoptosis during T-cell
differentiation