Effects of neonatal thymectomy on the densities of nicotinic cholinergic receptors in skeletal muscle and brain

It has been suggested that the thymic polypeptide thymopoietin interacts with skeletal muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and brain nicotinic receptors labeled by α-bungarotoxin (α-BuTX). In this study, the effects of neonatal thymectomy on the density of skeletal muscle nAChRs and the density of brain α-BuTX binding sites at 7 and 45 days postnatal were investigated. In addition, the densities of receptors in the skeletal muscle and brain of the athymic nu/nu mouse at 42 days postnatal were measured. We found little evidence that the absence of the thymus alters the density of nicotinic receptors in either skeletal muscle or brain.