title: The dialogue between the brain and immune system involves not only the HPA-axis.
abstract: Starting out from our previous observations that defects in the immune system-brain feedback predispose to pathogenic immune responses, our interest focuses at the roles of adrenergic/cholinergic neurotransmitters in brain-immune interactions. We have shown in rodent models that 1) both catecholamines and acetylcholine are potent modulators of peripheral immune functions, 2) cholinergic signals are involved in the afferent signalling of the immune system, and 3) lymphocytes not only express functional adrenergic and cholinergic receptors, but synthesize and release neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine, in quantitative dependence of differentiation and activation. Studies are presently being initiated to investigate the role(s) of these non-neuronal neurotransmitters within immune tissues, and to explore the relevance of excitatory amino acids as important central neurotransmitters in the brain-immune system dialogue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, University of Graz, Heinrichstrasse 31 A, A-8010 Graz, Austria. konrad.schauenstein@kfunigraz.ac.at
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schauenstein
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rinner
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Felsner
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liebmann
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wölfler
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Westermann
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Chambers
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000502:physiology; D005246:Feedback / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D000109:Acetylcholine