Elsevier

Regulatory Peptides

Volume 57, Issue 2, 30 May 1995, Pages 99-104
Regulatory Peptides

Rescue of thymocytes from cell death by vasoactive intestinal peptide

https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-0115(95)00023-5Get rights and content

Abstract

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has previously been shown to increase survival of cultured neurons and to prevent the neurotoxic effect of the envelope glycoprotein 120 of human immune deficiency virus (HIV). The present report shows that VIP also protects mouse and human thymocytes exposed to a cytolytic dose of prednisolone in vitro. The activity of VIP is dose-dependent, and specific, since the structurally related secretin has no effect. The effective concentration of VIP is within the physiological range, suggesting that VIP released from nerve terminals may modulate cell death in the thymic cortex. Results with an N-terminal and a C-terminal fragment of VIP implied that the complete VIP molecule is required for optimal protection against cytolysis.

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    Citation Excerpt :

    These VIP binding sites represent functionally active receptors as VIP has been shown to inhibit cytokine expression (IL-2/IL-4) in activated thymocytes through a VPAC2-mediated mechanism [47,48]. Using NMRI mice, VIP rescues thymocytes from prednisolone induced cell death [10]. The greatest discrepancy regarding VPAC1 and VPAC2 expression profiles is found between mouse and human.

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