Effects of restraint stress on NALT structure and nasal IgA levels

Nasal IgA secretion in a murine model of acute stress. The possible role of catecholamines.

“…This contrasts with the increased SIgA levels and SIgA expression found with elevated levels of corticosterone and epinephrine in the present study. It seems that acute and chronic stress have different effects on the synthesis and secretion of nasal IgA (Oros-Pantoja et al, 2011). Although the evidence supports the idea that glucocorticoids and catecholamines have an important role in the regulation of IgA secretion in nasal mucosa during stress, in the present work we decided first to explore the role of adrenergic nerve terminals and the participation of α-and β-adrenergic receptors.…”

“…On the other hand, it has been reported that intense psychological and physical stress can increase susceptibility to diverse pathogens and increase the risk of infections of the upper respiratory tract (Gleeson, 2000a,b;Bermon, 2007). With respect to the nose, we have reported a decrease in IgA levels with chronic stress caused by movement restriction (Oros-Pantoja et al, 2011).…”

Psychological distress and salivary secretory immunity

“…In the same study, removal of the adrenal glands restored the production of IgA, whereas dexamethasone or epinephrine treatment reduced levels of intestinal S-IgA, indicating a moderating role of adrenal stress hormones on IgA levels. Studies using repeated restraint stress have also found reduced IgA levels in the mucosal (nasal) secretions of mice that related to elevations in epinephrine and corticosterone levels (Oros-Pantoja et al, 2011). Human neuroendocrine studies, although mostly observational, confirm these animal findings by showing depressing effects of long-term stress and cortisol on salivary IgA levels (Nieman et al, 2002; Papacosta and Nassis, 2011; Tsujita and Morimoto, 1999).…”

Mucosal vaccination by the intranasal route. Nose-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT)—Structure, function and species differences

“…The high annual production of formaldehyde and occupational exposure (see Kuper et al for details [42]) underline the interest in animal models to extrapolate the limits of exposure doses for humans. Restraining the mouse for 3 h for four days resulted in a decrease of lymphocyte numbers and subsets, but for 8 days IgA was higher than in control animals [43], indicating effects of corticosteroids and norepinephrine on the structure and cellular composition of NALT in mice. This phenomenon has not been studied for other lymphoid organs except the thymus which is extremely stresssensitive.…”