Autonomic control of inflammation

Abstract

Substantial evidence has long suggested that various aspects of the immune system are affected by the activity of the nervous system. However, how the inputs from the nervous system are converted into the outputs from the immune system had been largely unclear. Studies in the past decade revealed the cellular and molecular basis by which inputs from the autonomic and somatosensory nervous systems control the development and functions of immune cells. The principal autonomic neurotransmitters, acetylcholine and noradrenaline, are involved in immune regulation in the context of inflammation through various molecular pathways. Circadian oscillations in the activity of the autonomic nervous system allow concerted actions of immune cells. In the present review, we integrate the current knowledge about the autonomic regulation of inflammatory responses, and provide pathophysiological and therapeutic implications. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms for immune regulation by the autonomic nervous system.