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Receptor-Mediated Interaction Between the Sympathetic Nervous System and Immune System in Inflammation

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Abstract

The sympathetic nervous system plays a central role in establishing communication between the central nervous system and the immune system during inflammation. Inflammation activates the sympathetic nervous system, which causes release of the transmitters of the sympathetic nerv-ous system in the periphery. The transmitters of the sympathetic nervous system are the cate-cholamines noradrenaline and adrenaline and the purines ATP, adenosine, and inosine. Once these transmitters are released, they stimulate both presynaptic receptors on nerve terminals and post-synaptic receptors on immune cells. The receptors that are sensitive to catecholamines are termed adrenoceptors, whereas the receptors that bind purines are called purinoceptors. Stimulation of the presynaptic receptors exerts an autoregulatory effect on the release of transmitters. Ligation of the postsynaptic receptors on inflammatory cells modulates the inflammatory ac-tivities of these cells. The present review summarizes some of the most important aspects of the current state of knowledge about the interactions between the sympathetic nervous system and the immune system during inflammation with a special emphasis on the role of adreno and purinoceptors.

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  1. Department of Surgery, UMD-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, 07103

    György Haskó

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Haskó, G. Receptor-Mediated Interaction Between the Sympathetic Nervous System and Immune System in Inflammation. Neurochem Res 26, 1039–1044 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012305122327

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