Characterization of Fyn signaling on the age-dependent immuno-modulation on traumatic rats

Traumatic stress is well characterized to develop immuno-depression in our previous report. Here, we provide evidence that adult and aged rats showed similar decrease in lymphocyte proliferation and natural killer (NK) cell activity. However, compared with beginning recovering from traumatic stress after 3 day and fully recovered by 7 day in adult rats, aged rats begin the recovery phage later than 3 day and do not fully recovered by 7 day. In parallel, Fyn expression in cerebral cortex was augmented with the highest level at 3 day of trauma in both age groups of rats, although aged rats exhibited lower level than the younger cohorts. Immune consequences were consequently modified by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of Fyn antibody or recombinant adenovirus expressing active Fyn. Finally, the increase in Fyn expression was converged on ERK1/2 (extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2) activation. Taken together, the data indicated that immunological processes in response to traumatic stress was age dependent, Fyn-ERK1/2 signal pathway was required to convey the recovery signals.