title: Cytokine-to-brain communication: a review & analysis of alternative mechanisms.
abstract: It is becoming well accepted that products of the immune system (cytokines) can signal the brain that infection has occurred. This cytokine-to-brain communication can result in marked alterations in brain function and behavior. This review examines alternative mechanisms that have been proposed to explain how such immune products can reach the brain via the blood to cause centrally-mediated "illness" responses. Finally, we describe a new view which argues that cytokines signal brain in quite a different manner, by stimulating afferent terminals of peripheral nerves at local sites of synthesis and release.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Colorado at Boulder 80309, USA.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: L E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Goehler
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014630:Vagus Nerve
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines