Vasopressin, Oxytocin and Immune Function

Issue title: Stress and Immunity

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Berczi, Istvan^; | Quintanar, Andres | Campos, Rafael | Kovacs, Kalman

Affiliations: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Immunology, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada | Department of Physiology, Autonomous University of Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico | Department of Bioquímica. ESM. IPN. Mexico | Department of Laboratory Medicine, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

Note: [] Correspondence to: Dr. Istvan Berczi, Department of Physiology, Autonomous University of Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico. Tel.: +52 449 910 7400/Ext.: 363 (Mexico); +1 204 878 3586 (Canada); E-mail: berczii@ms.umanitoba.ca

Abstract: Vasopressin has emerged in recent years as a very important immunoregulatory peptide of the hypothalamus. Vasopressin is capable of maintaining immune function, both innate and adaptive immunity. This is due to the ability of vasopressin to stimulate both the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and also prolactin. The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis is important for innate immune function, whereas prolactin and growth hormone maintain adaptive immunocompetence. Recent results show that vasopressin also has a direct regulatory effect on cytokines. During acute illness vasopressin will rise along with corticotrophin releasing hormone. In this case corticotrophin releasing hormone regulates the inflammatory process, and vasopressin supports this role. Innate immunity is amplified by glucoicorticoids and catecholamines whereas adaptive immune function is suppressed. During chronic inflammation corticotrophin releasing hormone is repressed and vasopressin becomes the primary hypothalamic immunoregulator. Vasopressin gradually restores homeostasis by maitaining both the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and prolactin secretion in balance and hence restores normal immune function and leads to healing and recovery of the organism. Therefore, the two hypothalamic immunoregulatory peptides, corticotrophin releasing hormone and vasopressin have different functions. Corticotrophin releasing hormone plays an important function in acute phase response, whereas vasopressin supports the acute phase response, but it is really the hypothalamic regulator of healing and of physiological immune regulation. Both corticotrophin releasing hormone and vasopressin exert numerous regulatory functions throughout the entire organism. It is beyond the scope of this review to present non-immune effects of these mediators. The first papers on oxytocin and growth hormone release go back to 1969–70. Little was done until recent times. It is now clear that oxytocin is an immunoregulatory hormone and it shows therapeutic value in the inhibition of septic conditions. This must be related of its immunoregulatory power. Oxytocin interacts with cytokines. So far oxytocin receptors were shown only on bovine T cells. The thymus and the pituitary gland produce oxytocin. Oxytocin injections to animals either stimulate (low dose) or inhibit (high dose) growth hormone secretion. Other evidence also supports the regulation of growth hormone by oxytocin. Oxytocin activates the adrenal corticotropic hormone axis in rats. Oxytocin will be released in response to sepsis, and other form of infections, inflammatory disease and in stress situations. On this basis we conclude that oxytocin is an immunoregulatory hormone and it participates in the acute phase response, it releases growth hormone, and activates the adrenal corticotropic hormone axis in rats. More work is required to appreciate fully the value of oxytocin in immune function.

Keywords: Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, innate immunity, prolactin, growth hormone, adaptive immunity, vasopessin, cytokines, acute phase response, oxytocin is immunoregulatory and active in acute phase reactions

DOI: 10.3233/NIB-012908

Journal: Advances in Neuroimmune Biology, vol. 3, no. 3-4, pp. 329-343, 2012