A novel regulator of lung inflammation and immunity: pulmonary parasympathetic inflammatory reflex.
In this review, we first analyzed the current status of cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway and then put forward a novel regulatory machinery-pulmonary parasympathetic inflammatory reflex, which is composed by lung vagal sensors at afferent arm, α7 nAChR (α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors)-expressing cells at efferent arm and the brain information integrating center. This modulatory circuit might loop the lungs, immune and nervous systems and play a very important role in regulating lung infection, inflammation and immunity through the neural innervations and signals when the lungs encounter pathogenic challenges.
From the Unit of Respiratory Infection and Immunity, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
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X
Yang
From the Unit of Respiratory Infection and Immunity, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
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C
Zhao
From the Unit of Respiratory Infection and Immunity, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
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Z
Gao
From the Unit of Respiratory Infection and Immunity, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China xsu@ips.ac.cn.
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X
Su
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism*; D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology*; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000276:immunology*; D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor / Q000378:metabolism*
D064569:alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor; D000109:Acetylcholine