title: Glucocorticoid-catecholamine interplay within the composite thymopoietic regulatory network.
abstract: This paper highlights the multiple putative thymic and extrathymic points of intersection and interaction between glucocorticoids (GCs) and catecholamines (CAs)--the end-point mediators of the major routes of communication between the brain and the immune system--in the context of intricate thymic T cell-developmental tuning. More specifically, we discuss in detail findings indicating that adrenal GCs can influence thymopoiesis by adjusting directly and/or indirectly (through modulation of pituitary and local ACTH synthesis) not only thymic GC synthesis, in a cell type-specific manner, but also thymic CA bioavailability (via altering CA outflow from sympathetic nerve endings and local CA synthesis), β and α(1) -adrenoceptor (AR) expression, and/or AR-mediated intracellular signal transduction in thymic cells. In addition, this short review points to GC- and CA-sensitive stages along the multistep T cell-developmental journey and the possible effects of altered GC, and consequently CA signaling, on thymopoietic efficiency.
authors: Immunology Research Centre Branislav Janković, Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera Torlak, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors: Ivan
authors: I
authors: Pilipović
authors: Katarina
authors: K
authors: Radojević
authors: Milica
authors: M
authors: Perišić
authors: Gordana
authors: G
authors: Leposavić
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000276:immunology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation; D051381:Rats; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D060168:Thymocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta