Activation of the reward system boosts innate and adaptive immunity.
Nat Med
; 22(8): 940-4, 2016 08.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-27376577
ABSTRACT
Positive expectations contribute to the clinical benefits of the placebo effect. Such positive expectations are mediated by the brain's reward system; however, it remains unknown whether and how reward system activation affects the body's physiology and, specifically, immunity. Here we show that activation of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a key component of the reward system, strengthens immunological host defense. We used 'designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs' (DREADDs) to directly activate dopaminergic neurons in the mouse VTA and characterized the subsequent immune response after exposure to bacteria (Escherichia coli), using time-of-flight mass cytometry (CyTOF) and functional assays. We found an increase in innate and adaptive immune responses that were manifested by enhanced antibacterial activity of monocytes and macrophages, reduced in vivo bacterial load and a heightened T cell response in the mouse model of delayed-type hypersensitivity. By chemically ablating the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), we showed that the reward system's effects on immunity are, at least partly, mediated by the SNS. Thus, our findings establish a causal relationship between the activity of the VTA and the immune response to bacterial infection.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Recompensa
/
Sistema Nervioso Simpático
/
Efecto Placebo
/
Área Tegmental Ventral
/
Inmunidad Adaptativa
/
Neuronas Dopaminérgicas
/
Hipersensibilidad Tardía
/
Inmunidad Innata
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Nat Med
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA MOLECULAR
/
MEDICINA
Año:
2016
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Israel