Evaluation of mitogenic effects of oxytocin on cultured human hymphocytes

Abstract

Oxytocin produces numerous biochemical effects after binding to its membrane receptors, including the modulation of mitotic activity of various cell lines. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the effects of oxytocin on mitotic activity of cultured human lymphocytes. We analyzed mitotic and proliferation indices, as well as cytokinesis block proliferation index in phytohaemagglutinin-activated human peripheral blood lymphocytes. Seven experimental concentrations of oxytocin were used in a range from 0.001 IU/ml to 0.1 IU/ml. Human recombinant insulin and N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) were used as positive controls. Mitotic index was not significantly influenced by oxytocin treatment. In addition, proliferation index (PI) and cytokinesis block proliferation index (CBPI) as parameters of cell cycle kinetics were not significantly changed after oxytocin treatment. Therefore, oxytocin exhibited neither stimulating nor cytotoxic (or cytostatic) effects on cultured human lymphocytes.

Oksitocin dovodi do različitih biohemijskih efekata nakon vezivanja za svoje membranske receptors, uključujući modulaciju mitotske aktivnosti pojedinih celijskih linija. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je da se procene efekti oksitocina na mitotsku aktivnost humanih limfpcita u kulturi. Analiziran je procenat ćelija u mitozi (mitotski indeks) i proliferacioni indeksi kao pokazatalji ćelijske kinetike humanih limfocita aktiviranih fitohemaglutininom. Upotrebljeno je sedam eksperimentalnih koncentracija oksitocina u rasponu od 0.001 IU/ml do 0.1 IU/ml. Human rekombinantni insulin i N-metil-N'-nitro-N-nitrozogvanidin (MNNG) upotrebljeni su kao pozitivne kontrole. Rezultati ukazuju da tretman kulutra limfocita periferne krvi oksitocinom ne menja značajno vrednosti mitotskih i proliferacionih indeksa, odnosno da oksitocin nije ispoljio mitogene, citotoksične ili citostatske efekte.