Endotoxin-induced experimental systemic inflammation in humans: A model to disentangle immune-to-brain communication

• Published in: Brain, behavior, and immunity Vol. 35; pp. 1 - 8
• Main Authors: Schedlowski, Manfred, Engler, Harald, Grigoleit, Jan-Sebastian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.01.2014
• Subjects: Allergy and Immunology; Cytokines; Cytokines - metabolism; Endotoxemia - immunology; Endotoxemia - psychology; Endotoxins - metabolism; Experimental inflammation; fMRI; Human endotoxemia; Humans; Illness Behavior; Immune-to-brain communication; Lipopolysaccharide (LPS); Lipopolysaccharides - metabolism; Models, Immunological; Neuroimmunomodulation; Psychiatry; Sickness behavior; Human endotoxemia; fMRI; Sickness behavior; Cytokines; Immune-to-brain communication; Experimental inflammation; Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)
• ISSN: 0889-1591; 1090-2139; 1090-2139
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2013.09.015

•This review summarizes studies employing administration of endotoxin as a model to analyze neuropsychological consequences of systemic inflammation in humans. Systemic inflammation is among the most prominent and most frequently observed responses of the immune system. Over the past decades, it has become clear that inflammatory cytokines not only affect immune and metabolic functions but also cause a wide range of behavioral and mood changes. Based on experimental findings in animals and observations in clinical populations it has been hypothesized that inflammation-induced neurocognitive changes contribute to the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric diseases. However, since certain aspects of human behavior cannot be modeled in laboratory animals, there is a need for human models of systemic inflammation. In this review, we summarize recent studies employing administration of endotoxin as a model to induce transient systemic inflammation in healthy human subjects.