RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The role of arginine vasopressin (AVP) as a direct immune regulator has not yet been clarified, and more work is needed to assess its involvement in the immunoneuroendocrine network. In the present study, the effects of neurointermediate pituitary lobectomy (NIL) and desmopressin (DP), an agonist of AVP, on acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in female Lewis rats were evaluated. The activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis was also assessed. METHODS: Five groups of rats were used, as follows: (1) sham-operated (SHAM) rats, (2) SHAM + DP rats, (3) NIL rats, (4) NIL + DP rats and (5) untreated normal control rats. DP treatment started 2 weeks after surgery, and immunization to induce EAE was carried out 1 week later. RESULTS: SHAM rats developed full-blown clinical and histological signs of EAE and activation of the HPA axis. SHAM + DP animals had mild clinical signs of EAE, inflammatory infiltrations in the spinal cord and an activated HPA axis. NIL animals developed minimal EAE, scanty spinal cord inflammation and no changes in HPA axis activity. NIL + DP rats developed severe clinical signs of EAE, extensive spinal cord inflammatory infiltrations and marked activation of the HPA axis. CONCLUSIONS: NIL decreased the cell-mediated immune response, while DP in NIL animals restored the immune response. AVP is directly involved in the maintenance of immune competence.