Forsythe Paul
Department of Medicine, The Brain-Body Institute, St. Joseph's Healthcare, McMaster University, 50 Charlton Avenue East, T3302, Hamilton, ON, Canada, L8N 4A6,
Methods Mol Biol. 2015;1220:141-54. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1568-2_9.
Often considered as the archetype of neuroimmune communication, much of our understanding of the bidirectional relationship between the nervous and immune systems has come from the study of mast cell-nerve interaction. Mast cells play a role in resistance to infection and are extensively involved in inflammation and subsequent tissue repair. Thus, the relationship between mast cells and neurons enables the involvement of peripheral and central nervous systems in the regulation of host defense mechanisms and inflammation. Recently, with the identification of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, there has been increased interest in the role of the parasympathetic nervous system in regulating immune responses. Classical neurotransmitters and neuropeptides released from cholinergic and inhibitory NANC neurons can modulate mast cell activity, and there is good evidence for the existence of parasympathetic nerve-mast cell functional units in the skin, lung, and intestine that have the potential to regulate a range of physiological processes.
肥大细胞与神经的相互作用研究为我们理解神经系统和免疫系统之间的双向关系提供了很多信息，肥大细胞-神经相互作用常被视为神经免疫通讯的典型例子。肥大细胞在抗感染中发挥作用，并广泛参与炎症及后续的组织修复过程。因此，肥大细胞与神经元之间的关系使得外周和中枢神经系统能够参与宿主防御机制和炎症的调节。最近，随着胆碱能抗炎通路的发现，人们对副交感神经系统在调节免疫反应中的作用兴趣大增。胆碱能神经元和抑制性非肾上腺素能非胆碱能（NANC）神经元释放的经典神经递质和神经肽可调节肥大细胞活性，有充分证据表明，皮肤、肺和肠道中存在副交感神经-肥大细胞功能单位，它们有可能调节一系列生理过程。
