Boehme S A, Gaur A, Crowe P D, Liu X J, Tamraz S, Wong T, Pahuja A, Ling N, Vale W, De Souza E B, Conlon P J
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc., San Diego, California 92121, USA.
Cell Immunol. 1997 Mar 15;176(2):103-12. doi: 10.1006/cimm.1997.1080.
Stress elicits a wide range of physiological changes involving the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) plays a key role in orchestrating this response, activating both the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, resulting in release of corticosteroids. The present study examines the immunological phenotype and responsiveness of CRF-transgenic (CRF-Tg) mice. The immune system of the CRF-Tg animals has profound changes compared to littermate controls, including a marked reduction in both cell number and immune responsiveness. There were also phenotypic changes in the lymphocytic composition of the various lymphoid organs, most notably in the spleen, where CRF-Tg mice had a greater percentage of T lymphocytes compared to littermate controls. Adrenalectomy of CRF-Tg reversed the immunological phenotype observed and restored immune responsiveness. These results demonstrate that CRF overexpression leads to profound impairment on lymphocyte development and function mediated via corticosteroids.
应激会引发涉及神经、内分泌和免疫系统的广泛生理变化。促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子（CRF）在协调这种反应中起关键作用，激活交感神经系统和下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴，导致皮质类固醇的释放。本研究检测了CRF转基因（CRF-Tg）小鼠的免疫表型和反应性。与同窝对照相比，CRF-Tg动物的免疫系统有深刻变化，包括细胞数量和免疫反应性显著降低。各种淋巴器官的淋巴细胞组成也有表型变化，最明显的是在脾脏，与同窝对照相比，CRF-Tg小鼠的T淋巴细胞百分比更高。对CRF-Tg小鼠进行肾上腺切除可逆转观察到的免疫表型并恢复免疫反应性。这些结果表明，CRF的过度表达会导致通过皮质类固醇介导的淋巴细胞发育和功能严重受损。
