Transient changes in environmental temperature produce a short-term, but significant effect on the immune system reactions in laboratory mice. Activities of nonspecific resistance factors (peritoneal macrophages) in mice exposed in warm or cold water were characterized by similar reactions, while the reactions of cellular and humoral immunity were opposite. Exposure to cold water activated cellular immunity, while warm water activated humoral immune system. The most significant changes in the immune system reactions were observed during the first 3 days of thermal exposure. Temperature alteration from cold to warm leads to activation of cellular and suppression of humoral components of the immune system. Alteration of water temperature from warm to cold leads to activation of nonspecific resistance factors, cellular and humoral immunity.

The immunobiological potential of a new microorganism species isolated from permafrost specimens (PMO strain 3M) collected from the Mammoth Mountain in Yakutia was studied in laboratory mice. PMO injected intraperitoneally in doses of 2500 to 50 × 10(6) microbial bodies caused characteristic dose-dependent effects on the structure and functions of the immune system (thymus and spleen indexes, functional activity of splenic macrophages, cellular and humoral immunity). Doses of PMO stimulating functional activities of both cellular and humoral immunity were detected.

The article is devoted to the research of the synchronization of immune and psychic systems providing multilayer (functional) protection in accordance with the identically developed strategies. We have discussed evolution interaction of the systems with the following references: mentality in macroworld and immune system in microworld. Their functional isomorphism maintains the dynamic homeostasis according to the principle of reciprocal control, and during their functioning systems presents not the amount of separate parts but “the whole range of events” effect.

Experiments on inbred animals showed that short-term exposure in cold water significantly modified structural and functional parameters of the immune system at different levels of its organization, from bone marrow hemopoiesis to effector stage of the immune response to antigen. The thermal factor caused changes in nonspecific and specific mechanisms of the immune system. Hypothermal exposure (7-9 degrees C, 5 sec) increased the thymic index and bone marrow lymphocyte count, reduced absorption capacity and stimulated metabolic activity of phagocytes, stimulated cell-mediated and suppressed humoral immunity. Contrast exposure in cold and hot water (7-9 degrees C, 5 sec/40-42 degrees C, 30 sec) increased monocyte count in bone marrow and reduced it in the their peripheral blood, reduced metabolic activity of phagocytes, stimulated cell-mediated and suppressed humoral immunity. These data demonstrate physiological mechanisms of interactions between the thermoregulatory and immune systems.

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