The network of immune system and nerve system in host defense to bacterial infections

免疫系统、神经系统、内分泌系统之间形成网络。我们对细菌感染中免疫系统和神经系统的相互作用很感兴趣。我们选择P物质（SP）和血管活性肠肽（VIP）等神经肽作为神经系统的参数。我们研究了单增李斯特菌和波代谢鼠卡姆氏菌对小鼠肝脏SP和VIP的诱导作用。在使用免疫组织化学技术的研究中，未感染小鼠的肝脏中未检测到SP和VIP。在李斯特菌感染小鼠的血管周围和肝脏周围浸润细胞中检测到VIP，但未检测到SP。相比之下，在鼠卡姆氏菌感染小鼠的肝脏肉芽肿样病变中检测到SP，而未检测到VIP。这些结果提示SP和VIP的选择性诱导可能根据感染细菌的不同而发生，神经肽可能由炎症细胞分泌。在逆转录- pcr的研究中，在李斯特菌细胞在肝脏中生长的同时，诱导了适当的VIP mRNA。这些结果表明神经肽可能参与细菌感染的炎症过程和/或宿主防御。

The network is formed between immune system, nerve system, and endocrine system. We were interested in the interaction between immune system and nerve system in bacterial infections. We chose the neuropeptides such as substance P (SP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) as the parameter of nerve system. We investigated the induction of SP and VIP en the livers of mice which were infected intravenously with Listeria monocytogenes or Tsukamullela paurometabolum.In the studies using an immunohistochemical technique, neither SP nor VIP was detected in the livers of uninfected mice. VIP,but not SP was detected around the blood vessels and in the surrounding infiltrating cells of livers obtained from Listeria-infected mice. In contrast, SP,but not VIP,was detected in the granuloma-like lesions of livers obtained from Tsukamullela-infected mice. These result suggest that the selective induction of SP and VIP might occur, depending on bacteria infected, and that the neuropeptides might be secreted by the inflammatory cells. In the studies using reverse transcription-PCR,propre VIP mRNA was induced in parallel with the growth of Listeria cells in the livers.These results demonstrate that the neuropeptides might be involved in the inflammatory process and/or the host defense in bacterial infections.