Open AccessAblation of the Sympathetic Nervous System Decreases Gram‐Negative and Increases Gram‐Positive Bacterial Dissemination: Key Roles for Tumor Necrosis Factor/Phagocytes and Interleukin‐4/Lymphocytes
Author(s) -
Rainer H. Straub,
Georg Pongratz,
Claudia Weidler,
Hans-Jörg Linde,
Carsten J. Kirschning,
Thomas Glück,
Jürgen Schölmerich,
Werner Falk
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
the journal of infectious diseases (online. university of chicago press)/the journal of infectious diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.69
H-Index - 252
eISSN - 1537-6613
pISSN - 0022-1899
DOI - 10.1086/432134
Subject(s) - peritoneal cavity , tumor necrosis factor alpha , sympathetic nervous system , sepsis , immunology , immune system , cytokine , inflammation , biology , peritoneum , medicine , pathology , endocrinology , anatomy , blood pressure
The sympathetic nervous system is intensely activated during bacteremia, but its immediate influence on the bacterial tissue burden remains unclear. We demonstrate that prior ablation of the sympathetic nervous system decreases this dissemination of Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Escherichia coli through a mechanism of increased secretion of peritoneal tumor necrosis factor, improved phagocytic response of peritoneal cells, and increased influx of monocytes into the peritoneal cavity. When gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus strains were used, sympathectomy increased the bacterial tissue burden, which was caused by a reduction in corticosterone tonus, and decreased both interleukin-4 secretion from peritoneal cells and the influx of lymphocytes into the peritoneal cavity. In both models, the peritoneal wall was the critical border for systemic infection. These results show the dual role of the sympathetic nervous system in sepsis. It can be favorable or unfavorable, depending on the innate immune effector mechanisms necessary to overcome infection.