Posted by raybakes on November 29, 2004, at 6:39:43
In reply to osteoporosis and hormones, posted by raybakes on November 29, 2004, at 6:30:58
and a bit more...
Integration of the Immune and Endocrine Systems by Interleukin-6
Dr. George P. Chrousos (Developmental Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH): The stress system has a central nervous system component and a peripheral component [95]. The central component consists of the hypothalamus, which includes corticotropin-releasing hormone and vasopressin neurons of the paraventricular nucleus, and the brain stem, which includes the noradrenergic neurons of the locus ceruleus and other autonomic centers. The peripheral component consists of the hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal axis and the peripheral autonomic nervous system, which also includes the adrenal medullae. Activation of the stress system leads to suppression of the growth and reproductive axes [96], alterations in thyroid function recognized in the euthyroid sick syndrome [40], and suppression of the immune-inflammatory reaction associated with a shift from the Th1 to the Th2 profile [97].
Interleukin-6 has a profound stimulatory effect on the stress system [20-22] and is secreted when the system is activated during inflammatory [98,99] and (to a lesser extent) noninflammatory stress [25,35,36,100]. Interleukin-6 may play a pathogenetic role in conditions related to chronic stress and physiologic aging. Aging is characterized by progressively increasing concentrations of glucocorticoids and catecholamines and decreasing production of growth and sex hormones, a pattern reminiscent of that seen in chronic stress (Figure 4). Recent studies [101,102] have shown that plasma levels of interleukin-6 increase with age, probably as the result of catecholamine hypersecretion and sex-steroid hyposecretion, and that interleukin-6 levels correlate with the functional disability of elderly persons [103]. Therefore, interleukin-6 may contribute to the increased morbidity and mortality seen in chronically stressed or physiologically aging persons. The potential involvement of interleukin-6 in the pathophysiology of aging and chronic stress calls for research on ways to suppress its secretion or effects.
poster:raybakes
thread:421735
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20041123/msgs/421737.html