title: Cytokines in the central nervous system: regulatory roles in neuronal function, cell death and repair.
abstract: Recent evidence suggests that neurons and glia can synthesize and secrete cytokines, which play critical roles in maintaining homeostasis in the central nervous system (CNS) by mediating the interaction between cells via autocrine or paracrine mechanisms. Circulating cytokines and soluble receptors also regulate neuronal function via endocrine mechanisms. Disturbance of the cytokine-mediated interaction between cells may lead to neuronal dysfunction and/or cell death and contribute to the pathogenesis of the CNS diseases (e.g., ischemia, Alzheimer's disease and HIV encephalopathy). Defining the molecular pathways of cytokine dysregulation and neurotoxicity may help to elucidate potential therapeutic interventions for many devastating CNS diseases.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sei
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vitković
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D017378:Quinolinic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D018121:Receptors, Cytokine; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D017378:Quinolinic Acid