Ablation of the sympathetic nervous system decreases gram-negative and increases gram-positive bacterial dissemination: key roles for tumor necrosis factor/phagocytes and interleukin-4/lymphocytes.
The sympathetic nervous system is intensely activated during bacteremia, but its immediate influence on the bacterial tissue burden remains unclear. We demonstrate that prior ablation of the sympathetic nervous system decreases this dissemination of Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Escherichia coli through a mechanism of increased secretion of peritoneal tumor necrosis factor, improved phagocytic response of peritoneal cells, and increased influx of monocytes into the peritoneal cavity. When gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus strains were used, sympathectomy increased the bacterial tissue burden, which was caused by a reduction in corticosterone tonus, and decreased both interleukin-4 secretion from peritoneal cells and the influx of lymphocytes into the peritoneal cavity. In both models, the peritoneal wall was the critical border for systemic infection. These results show the dual role of the sympathetic nervous system in sepsis. It can be favorable or unfavorable, depending on the innate immune effector mechanisms necessary to overcome infection.
Straub
Rainer H
RH
Laboratory of Neuroendocrinoimmunology, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany. rainer.straub@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
Pongratz
Georg
G
Weidler
Claudia
C
Linde
Hans-Jörg
HJ
Kirschning
Carsten J
CJ
Glück
Thomas
T
Schölmerich
Jürgen
J
Falk
Werner
W
D000818:Animals; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000502:physiology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000502:physiology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000494:pharmacology; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation / Q000502:physiology*; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000382:microbiology; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000502:physiology; D011552:Pseudomonas Infections / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology; D013562:Sympathectomy; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000502:physiology
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D015735:Mifepristone; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D003345:Corticosterone