Carr D J, Weigent D A, Blalock J E
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Alabama, Birmingham 35294.
Drug Des Deliv. 1989 May;4(3):187-95.
Considerable progress is now being made in studies of the interactions between the immune and neuroendocrine systems, and the relevance of the results to many disease processes is increasingly recognised. Recent published, and hitherto unpublished, work on one aspect of this topic--the production and function of neuroendocrine hormone by cells of the immune system--is herein summarised by a foremost investigator and his colleagues. Evidence is presented that several peptide hormones (ACTH, endorphins, thyrotropin, chorionic gonadotropin, growth hormone) are produced constitutionally, or in response to stimulation, by cells of the immune system, and there is speculation as to their roles in local immune response, endotoxic shock, antibody production, pregnancy, and in the diagnosis of specific psychiatric and neuroendocrine disorders. The review and commentary contribute to fuller understanding of the underlying molecular biology, from which new opportunities in rational drug design will undoubtedly emerge.
目前，免疫系统与神经内分泌系统相互作用的研究取得了相当大的进展，人们也越来越认识到这些研究结果与许多疾病过程的相关性。一位顶尖研究人员及其同事在此总结了近期已发表以及尚未发表的关于该主题一个方面——免疫系统细胞产生神经内分泌激素及其功能——的研究工作。文中提出的证据表明，几种肽类激素（促肾上腺皮质激素、内啡肽、促甲状腺激素、绒毛膜促性腺激素、生长激素）由免疫系统细胞组成性产生或对刺激作出反应而产生，并且推测了它们在局部免疫反应、内毒素休克、抗体产生、妊娠以及特定精神和神经内分泌疾病诊断中的作用。这篇综述和评论有助于更全面地理解潜在的分子生物学，无疑将从中产生合理药物设计的新机会。
