Gender dependence in the hormone content of the immune cells.

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), endorphin, progesterone and triiodothyronine (T3) content of immune cells (lymphocytes, monocyte-macrophage-granulocyte group and mast cells of peritoneal fluid, blood lymphocytes and thymic lymphocytes) was studied by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometric analysis and compared in young (four weeks old) and sexually matured (two and a half months old) male and female rats. In most of cases, cells of female animals contained significantly more hormones, however, in the young group ACTH content of blood lymphocytes was double in males than that of females. In adults only T3 content of mast cells was higher in males. Progesterone was present only in the cells of the young group. The results show that i) hormone content in the immune cells is gender-dependent with the adventage of females and ii) this difference is not influenced by the sexual maturation.