title: Stress-induced glucocorticoids as a neuroendocrine alarm signal of danger.
abstract: A considerable number of studies demonstrate that acute and chronic stressors prime CNS innate immune responses to subsequent pro-inflammatory challenges and that glucocorticoids mediate, in part, stress-induced sensitization of pro-inflammatory immune responses. Here, we explore the notion that GCs produce a persisting sensitization of CNS innate immune effectors (e.g. microglia) so that they will generate a potentiated pro-inflammatory response after the GC rise has dissipated, thereby enhancing the sickness response to infection or injury and maximizing the animal's ability to neutralize danger. The stress-induced GC response is conceptualized here as an neuroendocrine warning signal or alarmin to the innate immune system, which prepares or sensitizes the innate immune response to potential danger. Thus, a new understanding of the stress response and its function (priming CNS innate immune responses to infection or injury during a fight/flight emergency) would be suggested.
authors: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA. Electronic address: matt.frank@colorado.edu.
authors: Matthew G
authors: MG
authors: Frank
authors: Linda R
authors: LR
authors: Watkins
authors: Steven F
authors: SF
authors: Maier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation / Q000276:immunology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000276:immunology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids
keywords: Alarmin; Danger; Glucocorticoid; Microglia; Priming; Pro-inflammatory; Stress