α7-cholinergic receptor mediates vagal induction of splenic norepinephrine.

Abstract	Classically, sympathetic and parasympathetic systems act in opposition to maintain the physiological homeostasis. In this article, we report that both systems work together to restrain systemic inflammation in life-threatening conditions such as sepsis. This study indicates that vagus nerve and cholinergic agonists activate the sympathetic noradrenergic splenic nerve to control systemic inflammation. Unlike adrenalectomy, splenectomy and splenic neurectomy prevent the anti-inflammatory potential of both the vagus nerve and cholinergic agonists, and abrogate their potential to induce splenic and plasma norepinephrine. Splenic nerve stimulation mimics vagal and cholinergic induction of norepinephrine and re-establishes neuromodulation in α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR)-deficient animals. Thus, vagus nerve and cholinergic agonists inhibit systemic inflammation by activating the noradrenergic splenic nerve via the α7nAChR nicotinic receptors. α7nAChR represents a unique molecular link between the parasympathetic and sympathetic system to control inflammation.
Authors	Gergely Vida, Geber Peña, Edwin A Deitch, Luis Ulloa
Journal	Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) (J Immunol) Vol. 186 Issue 7 Pg. 4340-6 (Apr 01 2011) ISSN: 1550-6606 [Electronic] United States
PMID	21339364 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
Chemical References	Cholinergic Agonists Chrna7 protein, mouse Chrna7 protein, rat Receptors, Nicotinic alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Norepinephrine
Topics	Animals Cholinergic Agonists (pharmacology) Efferent Pathways (immunology, metabolism) Male Mice Mice, 129 Strain Mice, Inbred C57BL Mice, Knockout Norepinephrine (biosynthesis, blood) Parasympathetic Nervous System (immunology, metabolism) Random Allocation Rats Rats, Sprague-Dawley Receptors, Nicotinic (deficiency, genetics, physiology) Spleen (immunology, innervation, metabolism) Sympathetic Nervous System (immunology, metabolism) Vagus Nerve Stimulation (methods) alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor

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