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Glucocorticoid–catecholamine interplay within the composite thymopoietic regulatory network

2012; Wiley; Volume: 1261; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06623.x

1749-6632

Ivan Pilipović, Katarina Radojević, Milica Perišić Nanut, Gordana Leposavić,

T-cell and B-cell Immunology

This paper highlights the multiple putative thymic and extrathymic points of intersection and interaction between glucocorticoids (GCs) and catecholamines (CAs)—the end‐point mediators of the major routes of communication between the brain and the immune system—in the context of intricate thymic T cell–developmental tuning. More specifically, we discuss in detail findings indicating that adrenal GCs can influence thymopoiesis by adjusting directly and/or indirectly (through modulation of pituitary and local ACTH synthesis) not only thymic GC synthesis, in a cell type–specific manner, but also thymic CA bioavailability (via altering CA outflow from sympathetic nerve endings and local CA synthesis), β and α 1 ‐adrenoceptor (AR) expression, and/or AR‐mediated intracellular signal transduction in thymic cells. In addition, this short review points to GC‐ and CA‐sensitive stages along the multistep T cell–developmental journey and the possible effects of altered GC, and consequently CA signaling, on thymopoietic efficiency.