S100+ cells: A new neuro-immune cross-talkers in lymph organs

• Published in: Scientific reports 2013-01, Vol.3 (1), p.1114-1114, Article 1114
• Main Authors: Huang, Jinyu, Zhu, Chunfang, Zhang, Peipei, Zhu, Qian, Liu, YanMei, Zhu, Zhansheng, Wang, MinChen, Li, Wenjie, Yang, Gang, Dong, Nan, Liu, Juan, Chen, Lian, Zhang, Yanlin, Yang, Runlin, Deng, Lili, Fan, Jun, Wang, Xiaochun, Liu, Jun, Ma, Bin, Fu, Qiang, Wu, Kaiyun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/250/371; 631/535/1258; 692/1807/1693; 692/698/1688/1315; Animals; Antigens; Autonomic nervous system; Fibers; Humanities and Social Sciences; Immune system; Immune System - immunology; Immune System - innervation; Immune System - metabolism; Immunoregulation; Intestine; Laboratories; Lymph nodes; Lymph Nodes - immunology; Lymph Nodes - innervation; Lymph Nodes - metabolism; Lymphatic system; Lymphatic System - immunology; Lymphatic System - innervation; Lymphatic System - metabolism; Lymphocytes; Lymphoid tissue; Male; Microscopy; multidisciplinary; Nerve endings; Nerve Endings - immunology; Nerve Endings - metabolism; Nerve Fibers - immunology; Nerve Fibers - metabolism; Nervous system; Neuropeptide Y; Neuropeptides; Neurotransmitter Agents - immunology; Neurotransmitter Agents - metabolism; Neurotransmitters; Norepinephrine; Nuclear medicine; Plasma; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Science; Stains & staining; Superior cervical ganglion; Sympathetic nerves; Sympathetic Nervous System - immunology; Sympathetic Nervous System - metabolism; Vasoactive agents; Vasoactive intestinal peptide
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep01114

Up to now, the ‘hardwired’ neural pathway of the neuro-immune regulation is not fully understood. Here we reported a new neural pathway which links sympathetic nerves with immune cells of the lymphoid tissues. Our results demonstrated that nerve fibers derived from superior cervical ganglion directly targeted only S100 + cells in the cervical lymph nodes. Moreover, we found co-expression of neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and neuropeptide Y in the postganglionic sympathetic nerve endings that innervate S100 + cells. Our findings suggested that S100 + cells serve as a neuro-immune cross-talker in lymph organs that may play a significant role in transmitting signals of nervous cells to targeted immune cells. The new findings provide better understanding of the cross-talk mechanism between the nervous system and the immune system.