ENVIRONMENTAL EXTREMES AND ENDOCRINE 

 RELATIONSHIPS IN ANTIBODY FORMATION^ 



Ignatius L. Trapani 



Department of Experimental Immunology 



National Jewish Hospital 



Denver 6, Colorado 



ABSTRACT 



This paper concerns antibody production and decay in animals exposed to environ- 

 mental extremes of low temperature (-15° C) or high altitude (12,500 ft. and 14,500 ft.), 

 or in which an imbalance in endocrine activity has been produced. It soon became 

 apparent from our earlier studies that it was not possible to investigate the effect 

 of environmental stress without implicating physiological alterations which might 

 occur and thus influence the synthesis and metabolism of antibody. Our studies were 

 extended to include animals which were in endocrine imbalance in an attempt to iso- 

 late one of several physiological factors which might be altered under conditions 

 of stress. The study of these physiological factors, their inter- relationships, and 

 their influence on antibody synthesis and decay is expressed in the term immuno- 

 physiology. The study of adrenalectomized, thyroxin- treated, and surgically thyroid- 

 ectomized animals helps to explain the immune response of cold- exposed animals 

 which exhibit an increased thyroid activity. The immune response can be thought 

 of as being composed of two processes; antibody production and antibody decay, oc- 

 curing simultaneously, but not necessarily at the same rate. For example, a net 

 increase in circulating antibody might arise from (a) an unchanged production asso- 

 ciated with a decreased rate of decay; (b) an increased production associated with 

 a decreased rate of decay; or (c) a decreased production associated with a marked 

 decrease in decay rate. 



The discussion I wish to present concerns antibody production 

 and decay in animals exposed to environmental extremes of low 

 temperature (-15° C) or high altitude (12,500 ft. and 14,150 ft.), or 

 in which an imbalance in endocrine activity has been produced 

 (Trapani, 19 57, 1960, 1961; Trapani and Campbell, 1959; Trapani, 

 Lein, and Campbell, 1959a and 1959b; Trapani and Jordan, 1962). 



1 These studies were aided by Contract Nonr 3545(00) (NR 102-573) between the Office 

 of Naval Research, Department of the Navy, and the National Jewish Hospital at Denver. 



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