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I have a question about the relationship between the immune system and the
central nervous system. It is generally acknowledged that facing illness with
good mental state helps fighting the disease whereas being depressed or anxious
does inhibit natural defenses.
The problem is, as far as I understand, that there is no way by which the
central nervous system communicates with the immune system which seems to be
intrinsically autonomous and decentralized.
So my question is : how does the nervous system act on the immune system ?
(if it does!)

--
Olivier Corby, Acacia project,
INRIA, BP n. 93, 06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex (FRANCE)

The CNS communicates with the immune system through
vasoactive neurotransmitters. The CNS does drain
into the lymphatic system.There is a neurovascular
component to cellular immune response.
When you inject the CSF with an antigen,
antibodies will appear as a result.
Therefore there is a two way communication.
Large protein molecules which are immunomodulatory
are distributed via the CSF.
Many substances which lead to immune response
are found in the brain (ie, PGE's,IL's,interferon,
TNF,VIP,5-HT,) The brain may optimize processes
which counter disease/infection.

Pharmacodynamic Research Center,School of Pharmacy
University of Pittsburgh

Through the autonomic nervous system, which richly innervates lymph nodes
as well as through chemicals released in response to nervous impulses.
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Gordon Banks  N3JXP      |"I can eat more fat meat than you can cook in a week

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Well, it turns out that there are actually numerous ways by which the
CNS communicates with the immune system, which is not, in fact,
"intrinsically autonomous" though it may be "decentralized" anatomically.

One way that I know of: through the action of various peptide
neuromodulators released either locally or systemically.

I found an interesting-sounding review article on MEDLINE that you
might check out, at least as a start:

   Neveu, P.J. (1992) Asymmetrical brain modulation of the immune-
        response. Brain Res. Rev. 17:101-107.
--

Steve Matheson   Program in Neuroscience   University of Arizona

neuro-peptides as immune modulators?
possibly.

khosro