Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 20, Issue 29, 2014

Today it is recognized that the regulatory systems namely nervous, endocrine and immune systems, do not function independently but are intimately linked, constituting a psychoneuroimmunoendocrine system. The communication between these physiological systems, is the basis of the maintenance of homeostasis and therefore of health. Each of these homeostatic systems is complex and more so, the interactions betw Read More

The adaptive response to physical or psychological challenges or threats involves the modulation of the three regulatory systems: the nervous, endocrine and immune systems. Correct communication between these systems is required to maintain a homeostatic balance, and to guarantee the health and survival of the individual. While the stress response is essential for survival, failure to cope with a stress can impair the fu Read More

This study reviews the neuroimmunological consequences elicited in mice from long-term cohabitation with tumor-bearing conspecifics. Two types of experiments were performed; one used Swiss female mice and Ehrlich tumor cells, and the other used C57Bl/6 female mice and B16F10 melanoma cells. The female Swiss mice and the C57Bl/6 mice were divided into two groups, i.e., control and experimental. One mouse i Read More

The health maintenance depends on the preservation of the homeostatic systems, such as nervous, endocrine and immune system, and a proper communication between them. In this regard, the circadian system, which promotes a better physiological system functions and thus well being, could be considered part of that homeostatic complex, since the neuroimmunoendocrine system possesses circadian patterns in most v Read More

According to the oxidation-inflammation theory of aging, chronic oxidative stress and inflammatory stress situations (with higher levels of oxidant and inflammatory compounds and lower antioxidant and anti-inflammatory defenses) are the basis of the agerelated impairment of organism functions, including those of the nervous and immune systems, as well as of the neuroimmune communication, which explains the alter Read More

Nitric oxide (NO) has an important role in physiological and pathological processes in general, and in particular plays a homeostatic role in the nervous and immune systems. The many different physiological functions of NO include those of a mediator of blood vessel dilation, neurotransmitter, neuromodulator and inductor of mitochondrial biogenesis. In addition, NO can transform into highly reactive and har Read More

Thymulin is a thymic hormone exclusively produced by the epithelial cells of the thymus. After its discovery and initial characterization in the ‘70s, it was demonstrated that the production and secretion of thymulin are strongly influenced by the neuro-endocrine system. Conversely, a growing body of evidence, to be reviewed here, suggests that thymulin is a hypophysiotropic peptide. Additionally, a substantial body of informati Read More

A few years ago the endocannabinoid system has been recognized as a major neuromodulatory system whose main functions are to exert and maintain the body homeostasis. Several different endocannabinoids are synthesized in a broad class of cell types, including those in the brain and the immune system; they bind to cannabinoid G-protein-coupled receptors, having profound effects on a variety of behavioral, neuroen Read More

The central nervous system (CNS) innate immune response includes an arsenal of molecules and receptors expressed by professional phagocytes, glial cells and neurons that is involved in host defence and clearance of toxic and dangerous cell debris. However, any uncontrolled innate immune responses within the CNS are widely recognized as playing a major role in the development of autoimmune disorders and neurodegener Read More

The crosstalk in the functional interplay of the neuroimmune system is essential to ensure homeostasis preservation and health. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be understood in the context of aging of this neuroimmune communication. AD has an important genderdependent component and is benefitted by lifestyle strategies such as physical exercise, enriched environments and nutrition. Recently, the functional and redo Read More

Pleiotropic effects, great potency, and the capacity to induce its own production are distinguishing characteristics of IL-1. Among the multiple physiological effects of this cytokine, we emphasize here its role in supporting immune processes by stimulating most immune cells, and in re-setting glucose homeostasis. These aspects are complementary because stimulatory actions of IL-1 may be due to its capacity to increa Read More

Preterm birth is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Pathological processes that have been linked with preterm birth infection and / or intrauterine inflammation are most frequently found associated with their induction. Studies in animal models and human research showed prior infections to the induction of labor, the anteriority of infection over labor induction, and the existence of a subclinical latency phase Read More

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory complex disease caused by microorganisms. It may be influenced by diverse systemic disorders, environmental, genetic and socio-psychological factors with the ability to alter the balance of the host neuro-immunoendocrine responses. It is characterized by the progressive destruction of the tooth supporting apparatus leading to tooth loss, with possible impact on general he Read More

Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by salivary and lacrimal gland dysfunction although extraglandular manifestations are also found. Suitable study models and in vitro cell culture designs are used to approach SS pathogenic mechanisms. Cellular and molecular pathways involved in gland homeostasis loss and the autoimmune response are focused in the search of novel drug targets a Read More

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the major inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in humans. With the incidence of increasing world-wide, it currently affects 4 million people in Europe and in the USA. It is an idiopathic, chronic relapsing intestinal disorder of complex pathogenesis. The etiology of both diseases remains unknown, but recent data suggest that they appear in genetically predisposed individuals, because of Read More

By focusing on the studies of primate behaviour and human neuroscience, we describe how different neurological processes are the base of proximate aspects of social-decision making. We also review the fact that distinct aspects of animal behaviour are not under conscious or abstract control and that instead they may be regulated by adaptive ´rules of thumb´. In particular, by describing the microbiota- gut-brain axis Read More