Neuroendocrine-immune interaction: Evolutionarily conserved mechanisms that maintain allostasis in an ever-changing environment

• Published in: Developmental and comparative immunology Vol. 66; pp. 2 - 23
• Main Authors: Verburg-van Kemenade, B.M. Lidy, Cohen, Nicholas, Chadzinska, Magdalena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2017; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Adaptation; Adaptation, Physiological; Adaptation, Psychological; Animals; Biological Evolution; Blood brain barrier; Brain; Defense mechanisms; Endocrine system; Energy; Energy intake; Energy metabolism; Environmental stress; Evolution; Evolutionary conservation; Fever; Homeostasis; Humans; Immune response; Immune System; Immunology; Leukocytes; Metabolism; Neuroendocrine system; Neuroendocrine-immune interaction; Neuroimmunomodulation; Neurosecretory Systems; Pathogens; Phylogeny; Physiology; Psychological effects; Psychoneuroimmunology; Receptor interaction; Receptors; Sickness behavior; Stress axis; Stress, Physiological; Receptor interaction; Stress axis; Homeostasis; Psychoneuroimmunology; Leukocytes; Neuroendocrine-immune interaction; Blood brain barrier
• ISSN: 0145-305X; 1879-0089
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dci.2016.05.015

It has now become accepted that the immune system and neuroendocrine system form an integrated part of our physiology. Immunological defense mechanisms act in concert with physiological processes like growth and reproduction, energy intake and metabolism, as well as neuronal development. Not only are psychological and environmental stressors communicated to the immune system, but also, vice versa, the immune response and adaptation to a current pathogen challenge are communicated to the entire body, including the brain, to evoke adaptive responses (e.g., fever, sickness behavior) that ensure allocation of energy to fight the pathogen. This phenomenon is evolutionarily conserved. Hence it is both interesting and important to consider the evolutionary history of this bi-directional neuroendocrine-immune communication to reveal phylogenetically ancient or relatively recently acquired mechanisms. Indeed, such considerations have already disclosed an extensive “common vocabulary” of information pathways as well as molecules and their receptors used by both the neuroendocrine and immune systems. This review focuses on the principal mechanisms of bi-directional communication and the evidence for evolutionary conservation of the important physiological pathways involved. •Psychological and environmental stressors are communicated to the immune system.•Immune responses to pathogens are communicated to the entire body, including the brain, to evoke adaptive responses.•Neuroendocrine-immune system interactions are of physiological importance and are evolutionarily conserved.•The evolutionarily conserved pathways for neuroendocrine-immune system interaction are described.