The chemical prevention of cardiac necroses

Abstract

That a healthy mind is fundamental to general well being has been recognized since prehistorictimes and proverbs analogous to “Healthy body—healthy mind” exist in many languages. Scientific inquiries with regards to mind-body interactions commenced over a century ago. Hans Selye discovered that stress activates the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-thymus axis, which results in the development of the ‘general adaptation syndrome’. This syndrome is characterised by elevated resistance of stressed animals to diverse insults [1]. Andor Szentivanyi and colleagues discovered [2–4] that hypothalamic lesions prevent anaphylactic death in guinea pigs. This was the first experimental evidence for the sweeping regulatory power of the nervous system over violent, life threatening immune reactions. Miklos Jancso and coworkers [5]. described that the nervous system also controls the inflammatory response.In the seventies and eighties a handful of laboratories started to re-examine various aspects of neuroimmune-interaction. It was established that pituitary hormones have the capacity to stimulate, inhibit and modulate immune responses. Placental and pituitary hormones are also involved in the development of the immune system and maintenance of immunocompetence. It was also described that lymphoid organs are innervated and that neurotransmitters and neuropeptides are important regulators of immune and inflammatory reactions. It became gradually apparent that immune derived cytokines and nerve impulses serve as feedback signals towards the neuroendocrine system. Compelling evidence was produced, indicating that immune reactions may be conditioned in the classical pavlovian sense and that emotions affect immune function. Evidence is increasing rapidly for the physiological role of cytokines and of immunocytes in the function of various organs and tissues, and in reproduction. It is also becoming obvious that Selye's general adaptation syndrome really corresponds to the acute phase response. This is a multi-faceted and highly co-ordinated systemic defence reaction, which involves the conversion of the immune system from a specific, adaptive mode of reactivity to a rapidly amplifiable, poly-specific reaction mediated by natural immune mechanisms. Immunological (poly) specificity is assured by profoundly elevated levels of natural antibodies and liver-derived acute phase proteins.Much has been learned about the regulation of cell activation, growth and function fromimmunological studies. Burnet's clonal selectional theory designated the antigen as the sole activator [6]. Bretcher and Cohn recognised first that at least 2 signals are required [7]. This was followed by numerous studies on cell-to-cell interaction within the immune system and led to our current understanding of the importance of cell adhesion molecules and cytokines in cell activation and proliferation. This, coupled with the available information about the mechanisms of action of hormones and neurotransmitters, of signal transduction and nuclear regulatory pathways paves the way to understanding how higher organisms function in their entire complexity. It is now apparent that the Nervous-Endocrine-and Immune-Systems form a systemic regulatory network, which is capable of regulating all aspects of bodily functions in health and disease. Thus, Neuroimmune Biology provides new foundations to Biology.