Effects of hypothalamic lesions on lymphocyte subsets in mice

This study investigated the time course of the dynamics of lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of mice, after bilateral lesions were made at anterior, middle and posterior sites in the hypothalamus of the mice, using a stereotaxic technique. Lymphocyte subsets were analyzed by using monoclonal antibodies specific to cell surface markers and a laser flow cytometry system. The results indicate that the anterior and posterior parts of the hypothalamus seem to play a role in immunomodulation of both helper and suppressor T lymphocytes. The middle part of the hypothalamus is considered to be the site of a control mechanism in the immune regulation of T and B lymphocytes.