Deprenyl and Protection Against Mammary Tumors
Abstract
L-deprenyl, a monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor, has been reported to reverse the age-related decline in sympathetic noradrenergic innervation and immune function in old rats and enhance cell-mediated immunity in tumor-hearing rats. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether deprenyl treatment of old female rats with spontaneously developing mammary tumors could increase sympathetic noradrenergic activity and immune responses to inhibit the tumor growth. Female Sprague-Dawley rats with spontaneous mammary tumors were administered 0, 2.5 mg, or 5.0 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day deprenyl for i.p. 9 weeks. Tumor diameter, tumor number and body weight were measured throughout the treatment period. At the end of the treatment period, norepinephrine (NE) concentration, interferon-7 production (IFN-gamma), Con A-induced T lymphocyte proliferation, and percentage of T and B lymphocytes and natural killer cells were measured in the spleen, and the concentrations of monoamines were measured in the medial basal hypothalamus. Treatment with deprenyl reduced tumor growth, increased NE concentration, IFN-7 production and percentage of the CD8+ T lymphocytes in the spleen in comparison to saline-treated rats. In the medial basal hypothalamus, deprenyl treatment increased the concentrations of catecholamines and indoleamine. These results suggest that the anti-tumor effects of deprenyl on spontaneous rat mammary tumors may be mediated through neural-immune signaling in the spleen and medial basal hypothalamus.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA382804
Entities
People
- David L. Felten
Organizations
- Loma Linda University