Stress modulates calcium mobilization in immune cells.
Both acute and chronic restraint stress modulated mitogen-induced increases in cytoplasmic free-calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) in mouse spleen cells. Dual-color analysis of lymphocyte subpopulations demonstrated that acute (2 hour) restraint stress suppressed mitogen-stimulated increases in [Ca2+]i in CD4+ T cells, but enhanced [Ca2+]i in CD8+ T cells. Chronic restraint stress (2 hours daily for up to 21 days) resulted in a significant suppression of mitogen-stimulated increases in [Ca2+]i in CD4+ T cells at 3 and 7 days, but not at 21 days. CD8+ T cells were unaffected by chronic stress. Chronic stress (for 7 days) had a modest suppressive effect on mitogen-induced Ca2+ responses in B cells. Within T lymphocyte subpopulations, both acute and chronic stress predominantly affected CD4+ T cells, which may induce a functional reversal of the CD4/CD8 ratios in vivo. Such a reversal could result in suppression of a variety of immune responses such as lymphocyte proliferation and antigen-specific antibody production. These findings indicate that the inhibitory effects of stress on calcium mobilization in lymphocytes may be an early event mediating stress-induced immunosuppression.
Sei
Y
Y
Laboratory of Neuroscience, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
McIntyre
T
T
Skolnick
P
P
Arora
P K
PK
D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D007103:Immobilization; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
D003208:Concanavalin A; D002118:Calcium; D003345:Corticosterone