In vivo effect of insulin on the hormone production of immune cells in mice — Gender differences

Abstract

The immune cells of rat and man synthesize, store and secrete hormones, characteristic to the endocrine glands. In the present experiments female and male CD1 mice were treated with 10 IU/kg insulin sc. (the controls with normal saline) and after 30 min peritoneal fluid was gained. The cells of the peritoneal fluid (lymphocytes and the monocyte-granulocyte group) were studied by immunocytochemical flow-cytometry to adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), triiodothyronine (T3), histamine and serotonin content. In the female mice each hormone level was significantly lower in the insulin-treated animals, except histamine in the monocyte-granulocyte group. In the insulin-treated male animals, the hormone levels were similar to the control. The results 1) support the previously hypothesized hormonal network in the immune system, 2) justify that the insulin effect is not species dependent and 3) call attention to the sex, species and organ differences in the response.