Production of lymphocyte-activating factors by mouse macrophages during aging and under the effect of short peptides.

Age-specific characteristics of production of lymphocyte-activating factor by mouse peritoneal macrophages and modulation of this production by short synthetic peptides (Vilon, Epithalon, and Cortagen) were studied. The production of lymphocyte-activating factors by macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharides in vitro was lower in old animals. The opposite modulating effects of short peptides on the production of lymphocyte-activating factors by resident and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated macrophages in young and old mice were demonstrated for the first time. This is a possible mechanism of immune system dysfunction during aging, which opens new vistas for its correction with short synthetic peptides.