Why the study?
Does selective thermoablation of the splenic nerve prevent T cell egression and protect against hypertension in mice?
Does selective thermoablation of the splenic nerve prevent T cell egression and protect against hypertension in mice?
Selective splenic denervation prevents T cell egression and protects against hypertension in mice, revealing a novel brain-spleen cholinergic-sympathetic pathway.
The crucial role of the immune system in hypertension is now widely recognized. We previously reported that hypertensive challenges couple the nervous drive with immune system activation, but the physiological and molecular mechanisms of this connection are unknown. Here, we show that hypertensive challenges activate splenic sympathetic nerve discharge to prime immune response. More specifically, a vagus-splenic nerve drive, mediated by nicotinic cholinergic receptors, links the brain and spleen. The sympathetic discharge induced by hypertensive stimuli was absent in both coeliac vagotomized mice and in mice lacking α7nAChR, a receptor typically expressed by peripheral ganglionic neurons. This cholinergic-sympathetic pathway is necessary for T cell activation and egression on hypertensive challenges. In addition, we show that selectively thermoablating the splenic nerve prevents T cell egression and protects against hypertension. This novel experimental procedure for selective splenic denervation suggests new clinical strategies for resistant hypertension.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Carnevale et al. (2016) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:
More from Nature Communications