Sympathetic nervous system lymphoid organ innervation

The brain and the immune system are accepted as the two major body s adaptive systems (Elenkov et al., 2000). The brain can modulate immune functions and the immune system also sends messages to the brain. The communication between these two systems is done mainly by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which is part of the ANS, innervates the lymphoid organs (Elenkov et al., 2000) (Flierl et al., 2007). Catecholamines, like dopamine, serotonin, epinephrine and norepinephrine, are the end products of the SNS. 

The activation of the stress systems affects all tissues of the organism, and the peripheral immune system is no exception. These effects are mediated through at least tw o pathways via the HPA axis and by virtue of the innervation of lymphatic tissues by autonomic nerve fibers, especially from the sympathetic nervous system. All lymphoid tissues, primary (bone marrow and thymus) as well as secondary (spleen, lymph nodes, and gut-associated lymphoid tissue) are innervated by sympathetic nerve fibers. As discussed above, most lymphoid cells express catecholamine receptors, including B-lymphocytes, CD4- and CD 8-positive T cells, dendritic cells, monocytes, and macrophages. 

The sympathetic nervous system innervates the major lymphoid organs such as the spleen with nerve fibers reaching both the vasculature and the parenchyma where lymphocytes, primarily T cells (T helper type 1-2, T l, T j2), reside (Friedman and Irwin, 1997). T cells possess receptors for both norepinephrine and neuropeptide Y that are released in response to sympathetic nerve stimulation. The adrenergic receptors are primarily the subtype, which is consistent with data demonstrating that (32 agonists can markedly influence the immune system (Kohm and Sanders, 2001). For example, stimulation of T cell receptors results in increased cyclic AMP formation, which can modulate cytokine expression, i.e., decreasing... 

---