Fuchs B A, Sanders V M
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond 23298-0613.
Crit Rev Toxicol. 1994;24(2):151-76. doi: 10.3109/10408449409049309.
Certain xenobiotics (or the metabolites) can damage immunocompetence by directly interacting with one or more of the cells of the immune system and adversely affecting its function. It has also been proposed that xenobiotics may indirectly affect immune function by affecting other organ systems that will in turn affect immunocompetence. This review surveys evidence that supports the existence of a functional link between the brain and the immune system. In addition, we review data that support the concept that a xenobiotic-induced dysfunction in the neuroendocrine system may be associated with an immune dysfunction as well. Such chemicals do not necessarily interact directly with immunocompetent cells but would instead act to disrupt regulatory brain-immune interactions. This class of indirectly acting immunotoxic xenobiotics would not be detected in the typical in vitro screening assays.
某些外源性化学物质（或其代谢产物）可通过直接与免疫系统的一种或多种细胞相互作用并对其功能产生不利影响，从而损害免疫能力。也有人提出，外源性化学物质可能通过影响其他器官系统间接影响免疫功能，而这些器官系统反过来又会影响免疫能力。本综述调查了支持大脑与免疫系统之间存在功能联系的证据。此外，我们还回顾了支持以下概念的数据：神经内分泌系统中外源性化学物质诱导的功能障碍可能也与免疫功能障碍有关。这类化学物质不一定直接与免疫活性细胞相互作用，而是会破坏大脑与免疫之间的调节性相互作用。在典型的体外筛选试验中无法检测到这类间接作用的免疫毒性外源性化学物质。
