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№2' 2013

QUESTIONS OF IMMUNOGENESIS

International Medical Journal, Vol. 19., Iss. 2, 2013, P. 100−105.

NERVE REFLEXES IN THE REGULATION OF IMMUNE RESPONSES

SI "S.P. Grigoriev Institute for Medical Radiology of NAMS of Ukraine", Kharkiv, Ukraine

Abstract. The achievements of neurobiology and immunology have facilitated in establishing anatomical and functional associations between the nervous and immune system. The findings of the recent research suggest that similarly to the other systems of the human body, the immune system is controlled by nerve reflexes regulated by the central nervous system. The inborn immune response is inhibited by inflammatory reflex including afferent axis, receiving the signals of danger and efferent axis, cholinergic anti−inflammatory pathway. This pathway plays an important role in the control of pro−inflammatory cytokine production by monocytes and macrophages. Besides inflammatory reflex, other nervous links involved in the regulation of inborn and adapted immune responses were identified. This review features the role of nervous responses in immune homeostasis maintenance.

Key words: inflammatory reflex, immunity, vagus nerve.