The effect of T-lymphocytes on epithelial proliferation of the jejunal mucosa in thymectomized mice

Following 1.5 month period after thymectomy of adult mice the crypt 3H-thymidine labelling index is decreased and the proliferative zone is reduced. Analysis of labeled cell distributions in the crypt revealed that thymectomy resulted in the initiation of enterocyte entering a maturation phase in the site shifted to the crypt base. Syngeneic T-lymphocytes injected intravenously to thymectomized mice increased the labeling index, but exerted no effect on the size of proliferative zone. The proliferative changes described were not due to changes in the number of divisions of rapidly proliferating enterocytes. The role of T-lymphocytes in modulation of intestinal epithelium proliferation and steady state maintenance is discussed.     

Individual optimization: Mechanisms shaping the optimal reaction norm

In general, optimal reaction norms in heterogeneous populations can be obtained only by iterative numerical procedures (McNamara, 1991; Kawecki and Stearns, 1993). We consider two particular, but biologically plausible and analytically tractable cases of individual optimization to gain insight into the mechanisms which shape the optimal reaction norm of fecundity in relation to an environmental variable or an individual trait. In the first case, we assume that the quality of the environment (e.g. food abundance) or the quality of the individual (e.g. body size) is fixed during its entire life; it may also be a heritable individual trait. In the second case, individual quality is assumed to change randomly such that the probability distribution of quality in the next year is the same for the parent and for her offspring. For these two cases, we obtain analytical expressions for the shape of the optimal reaction norm, which are heuristically interpretable in terms of underlying selective mechanisms. It is shown that better quality may reduce the optimal fecundity. This outcome is particularly likely if better quality increases a fecundity-independent factor of parental survival in a long-lived species with fixed quality. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Physiological phenotypes of immune resistance and their significance in assessment of health level

The health status was assessed in virtually healthy residents of the Far East south by the parameters describing the organism’s resistance on the integration level of the immune system and systems of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant protection (LPO-AOP). New data on the immunophysiological mechanisms in the development of the regional adaptive norm of immune system and LPO-AOP of cell membranes are presented. System analysis showed that the immunophysiological norm in the population was presented by eight main functional phenotypes of immune resistance: resistant, T-hyposuppressor, T-helper, resistant and nonresistant T-suppressor, compensated and subcompensated hyporesistant, and deficient. The prospects of immune resistance phenotype determination for the assessment of individual and population health level are discussed. The concept presented is a theoretical base for a new approach to the health assessment which deals with diagnostics and the early prevention of premorbid disorders considering the regional dynamic stereotype of physiological functions.     

Identification of Feulgen-stained mouse T- and B-lymphocytes

Digitized images of Feulgen-stained normal murine T and B lymphocytes were analyzed by the computer and microphotometry. Differences between these cells were revealed. The entropy of optical density was found to show highly significant differences between T and B cells. The application of the automatic classification of T and B lymphocytes is discussed.