ISSN:
1471-4159
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Abstract: The PNS was anticipated to be involved in the modulation of immune responses. To study aspects of this neuronal-immune communication, a recently developed tissue slice method was used to study the effects of adrenergic and opioidergic transmitters on interleukin 6 (IL-6) secretion in the spleen. The α2-adrenergic agonist p-aminoclonidine (10−7M) inhibited IL-6 secretion (control vs. p-aminoclonidine, 100.0 ± 4.76 vs. 59.3 ± 6.6% of control values; p 〈 0.001). The α1-adrenergic agonist methoxamine (10−8M) also inhibited IL-6 secretion (100.0 ± 4.8 vs. 71.5 ± 3.8%; p 〈 0.001). The endogenous opioids β-endorphin (10−10M), methionine-enkephalin (10−9M), and leucine-enkephalin (10−9M) inhibited IL-6 secretion as well (p = 0.0051, p = 0.0337, and p = 0.0226, respectively). Electrical stimulation of spleen slices inhibited IL-6 secretion (100.0 ± 4.3 vs. 56.7 ± 4.6% of control values; p 〈 0.001). The involvement of α-adrenergic and opioidergic molecules in this electrically induced inhibition was shown by the use of antagonists. Electrical inhibition of IL-6 secretion was attenuated by phentolamine (10−7M; p = 0.0345), by naloxone (10−6M; p = 0.0046), by cyprodime (10−8M; p = 0.0014), and by the combination of cyprodime (10−7M) plus phentolamine (10−8M; p 〈 0.0001). We conclude from the complementary studies that the inhibition of IL-6 secretion induced by electrical pulses was mostly mediated by α-adrenergic and μ-opioidergic endogenous transmitters.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1471-4159.1997.68041633.x
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