Seeman T E, McEwen B S
Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90089-0191, USA.
Psychosom Med. 1996 Sep-Oct;58(5):459-71. doi: 10.1097/00006842-199609000-00008.
This article reviews evidence relating social environment characteristics to patterns of neuroendocrine regulation. To date, although there has been considerable interest in the effects of social ties and support on health and longevity, less attention has been given to the effects of such social environment characteristics on actual physiologic parameters.
Animal and human studies from 1960s to the present are reviewed for evidence linking social environment characteristics to patterns of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and cardiovascular activity.
Community and laboratory-based studies document that characteristics of the social environment influence patterns of neuroendocrine reactivity. These effects seem to be highly sensitive to aspects of the social environment such as relative social status, the relative stability of the social ordering and, importantly, the quality of social relationships. Although supportive social relationships are often associated with attenuated patterns of HPA and SNS activation, the converse also seems to be true as nonsupportive social interactions are frequently associated with enhanced reactivity.
Available evidence regarding links between social environment characteristics and neuroendocrine regulation documents a link between the social and biological realms that may have important consequences for health and longevity. The data provide support for the hypothesis that observed associations between social ties and health and longevity result, at least partially, from the positive influence of such social environment characteristics in reducing neuroendocrine reactivity. The evidence regarding nonsupportive or hostile social relationships highlights the importance of taking a broader view of the potential health effects of the social environment, one that encompasses the potential for both positive and negative effects.
本文回顾了社会环境特征与神经内分泌调节模式之间关系的证据。迄今为止，尽管人们对社会关系和支持对健康及长寿的影响颇为关注，但对这类社会环境特征对实际生理参数的影响关注较少。
回顾了20世纪60年代至今的动物和人体研究，以寻找将社会环境特征与下丘脑 - 垂体 - 肾上腺（HPA）轴、交感神经系统（SNS）及心血管活动模式联系起来的证据。
基于社区和实验室的研究表明，社会环境特征会影响神经内分泌反应模式。这些影响似乎对社会环境的各个方面高度敏感，比如相对社会地位、社会秩序的相对稳定性，以及重要的社会关系质量。虽然支持性的社会关系通常与HPA和SNS激活模式的减弱相关，但反之似乎也成立，因为非支持性的社会互动常常与反应性增强相关。
关于社会环境特征与神经内分泌调节之间联系的现有证据表明，社会领域与生物领域之间存在联系，这可能对健康和长寿产生重要影响。数据支持了这样一种假设，即观察到的社会关系与健康及长寿之间的关联至少部分源于此类社会环境特征在降低神经内分泌反应性方面的积极影响。关于非支持性或敌对性社会关系的证据凸显了更全面地看待社会环境潜在健康影响的重要性，这种影响既包括积极影响也包括消极影响。
