Morale M C, Gallo F, Tirolo C, L'Episcopo F, Gennuso F, Testa N, Caniglia S, Spina-Purrello V, Avola R, Scoto G M, Marchetti B
Department of Neuropharmacology, OASI Institute for Research and Care (IRCCS) on Mental Retardation and Brain Aging, Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina (EN), Italy.
Domest Anim Endocrinol. 2003 Jul;25(1):21-46. doi: 10.1016/s0739-7240(03)00043-2.
Bidirectional communication between the neuroendocrine and immune systems plays a pivotal role in health and disease. Signals generated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis (i.e. luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, LHRH, and sex steroids) are major players coordinating the development immune system function. Conversely, products generated by immune system activation exert powerful and longlasting effects on HPG axis activity. In the central nervous system (CNS), one chief neuroendocrine-immune (NEI) compartment is represented by the astroglial cell population and its mediators. Of special interest, the major supporting cells of the brain and the thymus, astrocytes and thymic epithelial cells, share a similar origin and a similar set of peptides, transmitters, hormones and cytokines functioning as paracrine/autocrine regulators. This may explain some fundamental analogies in LHRH regulation of both cell types during ontogeny and in adult life. Hence, the neuropeptide LHRH significantly modulates astrocyte and thymic cell development and function. Here we focus this work on LHRH neuron-glial signaling cascades which dictate major changes during LHRH neuronal differentiation and growth as well as in response to hormonal manipulations and pro-inflammatory challenges. The interplay between LHRH, growth factors, estrogens and pro-inflammatory mediators will be discussed, and the potential physiopathological implications of these findings summarized. The overall study highlights the plasticity of this intersystem cross-talk and emphasize neuron-glial interactions as a key regulatory level of neuroendocrine axes activity.
神经内分泌系统与免疫系统之间的双向通信在健康和疾病中起着关键作用。下丘脑 - 垂体 - 性腺（HPG）轴产生的信号（即促黄体生成激素释放激素，LHRH，和性类固醇）是协调免疫系统功能发育的主要因素。相反，免疫系统激活产生的产物对HPG轴活动具有强大而持久的影响。在中枢神经系统（CNS）中，一个主要的神经内分泌 - 免疫（NEI）部分由星形胶质细胞群体及其介质代表。特别值得关注的是，大脑和胸腺的主要支持细胞，星形胶质细胞和胸腺上皮细胞，具有相似的起源以及一组相似的肽、递质、激素和细胞因子，它们作为旁分泌/自分泌调节因子发挥作用。这可能解释了在个体发育和成年期LHRH对这两种细胞类型调节中的一些基本相似之处。因此，神经肽LHRH显著调节星形胶质细胞和胸腺细胞的发育与功能。在这里，我们将这项工作重点放在LHRH神经元 - 胶质细胞信号级联上，这些信号级联在LHRH神经元分化和生长过程中以及对激素操作和促炎刺激的反应中决定了主要变化。将讨论LHRH、生长因子、雌激素和促炎介质之间的相互作用，并总结这些发现的潜在生理病理学意义。总体研究突出了这种系统间相互作用的可塑性，并强调神经元 - 胶质细胞相互作用是神经内分泌轴活动的关键调节水平。
