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Stress‐Induced Modulation of the Immune Response
Author(s) -
BONNEAU ROBERT H.,
KIECOLTGLASER JANICE K.,
GLASER RONALD
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1990.tb40485.x
Subject(s) - medicine , library science , citation , annals , gerontology , classics , history , computer science
The suggestion of and the evidence for an integration of the immune system with the central nervous system (CNS) and with the endocrine system has many roots as a result of both human’” and animal studies.Gg The complex interactions among these three systems have been the subject of many recent studies in the rapidly developing field of “psychoneuroimmunology”lo or more appropriately “psychoneuroendocrinimmunology” to account for the endocrine system’s known contribution in immune function modulation. Recent experimental evidence has suggested that the CNS-endocrine-immune axis (neuroendocrine-immune axis) proceeds in the direction of the immune response in that the immune system receives signals from the nervous system; in addition, the communication is bidirectional, since the immune system is capable of providing information to the nervous system. This intercellular communication is mediated by products of the immune system including cytokines, growth factors, and neuropeptides made by lymphocytes themselves. Therefore, the distinctions that have been made amonglymphokines, growth factors, hormones, and neuropeptides with respect to the organ system in which they function are no longer appropriate. Both surgical and exercise stress can promote the release of numerous pituitary and adrenal hormones. Thus, it has been suggested that stress can significantly modulate immune function via the endocrine system. Conflicting results have been obtained as to which hormones are secreted in response to stress; however, it is generally agreed upon that these results may be a function of the duration of stress applied along with frequency of the hormone sampling. Studies of the relationship between neuroendocrine peptides and regulation of the immune function have focused on those neuropeptides derived from the polyprotein proopiomelanocortin (POMC), particularly adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and Fendorphin. Other hormones such as cortisol, growth hormone, prolactin, and the catecholam-