title: Norepinephrine, dopamine and dexamethasone modulate discrete leukocyte subpopulations and cytokine profiles from human PBMC.
abstract: The interplay between the immune and neuroendocrine systems is intense, with the cross-talk between these two systems increasing during stress circumstances. Stress events culminate with hormonal pathway activation elevating the plasma levels of glucocorticoids and catecholamines. The majority of the works evaluating the effects of stress hormones on immune cells have utilized in vivo animal models or clinical studies. This work evaluates the effects of norepinephrine, dopamine, dexamethasone, and the combination of norepinephrine and dexamethasone on cellular activation and expression of immunoregulatory cytokines and chemokines by human PBMC in vitro. Norepinephrine and dopamine increased lymphocyte activation accompanied by augmented Th1 and Th2 type cytokine production. Dexamethasone reduced cell activation and decreased frequencies of cytokine producing cells and chemokine production. The action of norepinephrine together with dexamethasone resulted in immunosupression. The observed effects of hormones and neurotransmitters on leukocyte subsets likely underlie their immunomodulatory action in vivo.
authors: Laboratory of Lymphocyte Biology, Department of Biochemistry-Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627, C.P. 486, Belo Horizonte, MG 30161-970, Brazil.
authors: Karen C L
authors: KC
authors: Torres
authors: Lis R V
authors: LR
authors: Antonelli
authors: Adriano L S
authors: AL
authors: Souza
authors: Mauro M
authors: MM
authors: Teixeira
authors: Walderez O
authors: WO
authors: Dutra
authors: Kenneth J
authors: KJ
authors: Gollob
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine