Neonatal Programming of Neuroimmunomodulation – Role of Adipocytokines and Neuropeptides

Programming is an epigenetic phenomenon by which nutrition, environment and stress acting in a critical period earlier in life change the organism‘s development. This process was evolutionarily selected as an adaptive tool for the survival of organisms living in nutritionally deficient areas and sub...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroimmunomodulation 2008-01, Vol.15 (3), p.176-188
Main Authors: de Moura, E.G., Lisboa, P.C., Passos, M.C.F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adipose Tissue - immunology
Adipose Tissue - secretion
Animals
Female
Hormones - physiology
Hormones - secretion
Humans
Infant Nutrition Disorders - complications
Infant Nutrition Disorders - immunology
Infant Nutrition Disorders - physiopathology
Infant, Newborn
Leptin - physiology
Leptin - secretion
Maternal-Fetal Exchange - immunology
Metabolic Diseases - immunology
Metabolic Diseases - physiopathology
Neuroimmunomodulation - immunology
Neuropeptides - physiology
Neuropeptides - secretion
Pregnancy
Special Topic Section: The Impact of Nutrition on Neuroimmunomodulation Editor
Stress, Physiological - immunology
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Summary:Programming is an epigenetic phenomenon by which nutrition, environment and stress acting in a critical period earlier in life change the organism‘s development. This process was evolutionarily selected as an adaptive tool for the survival of organisms living in nutritionally deficient areas and submitted to stressful conditions. Thus, perinatal malnutrition turns on different genes that provide the organism with a thrifty phenotype. In conditions of abundant supply of nutrients, those programmed organisms can be at risk of developing metabolic diseases (obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes and hypertension). How nutrition or neonatal stress can program the immune system is less well known. Here, we discuss some of the hormonal and metabolic changes that occur in mothers and neonates and how those factors can imprint hormonal or metabolic changes that program neuroimmunomodulatory effects. Some of these changes involve thyroid hormones, leptin, insulin, glucocorticoids and prolactin as potential imprinting factors. Most of them can be transferred through the milk and may change with malnutrition or stress. We discuss the programming effects of these hormones upon body weight, body composition, insulin action, thyroid, adrenal and immune and inflammatory responses, with special emphasis on leptin, a cytokine that seems to play a central role in these events.
ISSN:1021-7401
1423-0216
DOI:10.1159/000153422