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Science 25 April 1986:
Vol. 232. no. 4749, pp. 508 - 511
DOI: 10.1126/science.3961493
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Articles

Science, Vol 232, Issue 4749, 508-511
Copyright © 1986 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

The neuroendocrine thymus: coexistence of oxytocin and neurophysin in the human thymus

V Geenen, JJ Legros, P Franchimont, M Baudrihaye, MP Defresne, and J Boniver

Immunoreactive oxytocin and neurophysin were identified and measured by radioimmunoassay in human thymus extracts. Serial dilutions of extracts paralleled the appropriate standard curves. Thymus-extracted oxytocin and neurophysin eluted in the same positions as reference preparations on Sephadex G-75. Authenticity of oxytocin was confirmed by biological assay and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. In most instances, thymus contents of oxytocin and neurophysin were far greater than those expected from known circulating concentrations and declined with increasing age. The molar ratio of oxytocin to neurophysin in thymus was similar to that found in the hypothalamo-neurohypophyseal system, which strongly suggested with the other data a local synthesis of oxytocin. These findings indicate the presence of neurohypophyseal peptides in the human thymus and further support the concept of a neuroendocrine function integrated in an immune structure.


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Detection of Synaptophysin-producing Cells in Human Thymus by Immunohistochemistry and Nonradioactive In Situ Hybridization.
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Heterogeneity of thymic stromal cells and thymocyte differentiation: a cell culture approach.
I Screpanti, A Modesti, and A Gulino (1993)
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Oxytocin and its receptors are synthesized in the rat vasculature.
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)