Peptidegic stimulation of differentiation of pineal immune cells.

Vesugen enhances the proliferation of pineal immune cells but does not influence their differentiation.

Summary and findings

The study investigated the effects of peptides on the differentiation and proliferation of immune cells in the pineal gland. The tripeptide vesugen was found to enhance the proliferation potential of immune cells but had no effect on their differentiation capacity. Dipeptide vilon was noted to stimulate differentiation into various immune cell types.

Abstract

We studied cell composition of the pineal lymphoid tissue and the effect of peptides on its differentiation and proliferation capacity. It was shown that the lymphoid component of the pineal gland in organotypic culture is primarily presented by low-differentiated CD5(+)-lymphocytes, while mature T and B cells are less abundant. Dipeptide vilon stimulates differentiation of precursors into T-helpers, cytotoxic T lymphocytes, and B cells, while tetrapeptide epithalon stimulated their differentiation towards B cells. Tripeptide vesugen had no effect on differentiation capacity of immune cells of the pineal gland, but enhanced their proliferation potential. Thus, dipeptide vilon acts as an inductor of differentiation of pineal immune cells, which can play an important compensatory role in age-related atrophy of the thymus, the central organ of the immune system.

Limitations

Not reported in abstract.