A
growing
body
of
evidence
suggests
that
social
stress
contributes
to
the
pathogenesis
of
neurodegenerative
diseases,
such
as
multiple
sclerosis
(MS).
For
example,
prior
research
has
shown
that
social
disruption
(SDR)
stress
behaviorally
and
immunologically
exacerbates
Theiler’s
murine
encephalomyelitis
virus
(TMEV)
infection.
TMEV
infection
results
in
acute
infection
of
the
central
nervous
system
(CNS)
followed
by
a
chronic
demyelinating
autoimmune
disease,
similar
to
that
seen
in
MS.
Research
suggests
that
social
stress
exerts
these
effects
by
altering
the
immune
response
to
infection.
More
specifically,
it
is
hypothesized
that
SDR
sensitizes
the
acute
inflammatory
response
to
infection
and
suppresses
T
cell
effector
function
in
the
acute
phase
of
disease.
It
was
demonstrated
that
SDR
is
sufficient
to
alter
inflammation.
Exposure
to
a
single
session
of
SDR
increases
IL-‐1β
mRNA
expression;
however,
IL-‐6
mRNA
expression,
but
not
IL-‐1β,
is
up
regulated
in
response
to
chronic
SDR.
Furthermore,
chronic
SDR
prior
to
infection
resulted
in
increased
infection
related
central
IL-‐6
and
IL-‐1β
mRNA
expression,
and
central administration
of
IL-‐6
neutralizing
antibody
during
SDR
reverses
this
increase
in
neuroinflammation.
This
suggests
that
SDR
sensitizes
infection
related
CNS
inflammation
through
an
up-‐regulation
of
IL-‐6.
Chronic
SDR
prior
to
infection
also
resulted
in
enhanced
CNS
viral
titers
and
suppression
of
virus-‐induced
CD4
and
CD8
T
cell
IFN-‐γ
release
within
the
CNS.
As
a
whole,
this
research
indicates
that
SDR
exacerbates
the
disease
course
of
TMEV
infection
by
altering
the
central
innate
and
adaptive
immune
response
to
infection.
This
research
enhances
our
understanding
of
the
mechanisms
by
which
social
stress
exacerbates
neurodegenerative
disease
pathogenesis.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2011-05-9139 |
| Date | 2011 May 1900 |
| Creators | Vichaya, Elisabeth Good |
| Contributors | Meagher, Mary W. |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
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