Immunomodulation induced by central nervous system-related peptides as a therapeutic strategy for neurodegenerative disorders.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) are disorders characterized by the progressive loss of neurons affecting motor, sensory, and/or cognitive functions. The incidence of these diseases is increasing and has a great impact due to their high morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, current therapeutic strategies only temporarily improve the patients' quality of life but are insufficient for completely alleviating the symptoms.

Chronic Stress and Glucocorticoid Receptor Resistance in Asthma.

Purpose: Chronic and persistent exposure to negative stress can lead to adverse consequences on health. Particularly, psychosocial factors were found to increase the risk and outcome of respiratory diseases like asthma. Glucocorticoids (GCs) are the most efficient anti-inflammatory therapy for asthma.

Altered interferon-γ expression in lymphocytes as a potential peripheral marker of chronic stress-induced cognitive deficit.

It is known that long-term exposure to stressful situations can produce severe consequences affecting behavioral, endocrine and immunological parameters. We have previously shown that stressed BALB/c mice had poor learning performance, which was reverted by glatiramer acetate treatment through a mechanism that likely involved the regulation of the cytokine balance and adult neurogenesis. In addition, recent results suggest that cytokine and neurotrophin expression in the hippocampus displayed similar tendencies as those in the serum.

Immunomodulatory effects of fluoxetine: A new potential pharmacological action for a classic antidepressant drug?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are frequently used antidepressants. In particular, fluoxetine is usually chosen for the treatment of the symptoms of depression, obsessive-compulsive, panic attack and bulimia nervosa. Antidepressant therapy has been associated with immune dysfunction.

Involvement of nitric oxide in improving stress-induced behavioural alteration by glatiramer acetate treatment in female BALB/c mice.

Rationale: Oxidative stress and neurotrophins are among the most important factors involved in several pathophysiological brain processes. In addition, long-term exposure to stressful situations has deleterious effects on behaviour. We have previously shown that stressed female BALB/c mice show poor learning performance and that this behaviour is reversed by glatiramer acetate (GA) treatment.

Prenatal stress induces up-regulation of glucocorticoid receptors on lymphoid cells modifying the T-cell response after acute stress exposure in the adult life.

It has been demonstrated that a short-duration stress (acute stress) may result in immunopreparatory or immunoenhancing physiological conditions. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether exposure to prenatal restraint stress (PRS) influences the impact of acute stress on the T-cell response in the adult life. We found that female mice exposed to PRS (PS mice) did not exhibit changes in the T-cell-dependent IgG antibody production with respect to prenatally non-stressed mice (no-PS mice).

Glatiramer acetate reverts stress-induced alterations on adult neurogenesis and behavior. Involvement of Th1/Th2 balance.

Long-term exposure to stressful situations has deleterious effects on adult neurogenesis, behavior, and the immune system. We have previously shown that stressed BALB/c mice show poor learning performance, which correlates with an increase in the T helper 1/T helper 2 (Th1/Th2) cytokine balance. Glatiramer acetate (GA) can stimulate autoreactive T cells.

Different effect of chronic stress on learning and memory in BALB/c and C57BL/6 inbred mice: Involvement of hippocampal NO production and PKC activity.

Nitric oxide (NO) has been involved in many pathophysiological brain processes. Recently, we showed that neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-mediated decrease in NO production is involved in memory impairment induced by chronic mild stress (CMS) in BALB/c mice. Two genetically different inbred murine strains, C57BL/6 and BALB/c, show distinct behavioral responses, neurodevelopmental and neurochemical parameters.

Inhibitory effect of fluoxetine on lymphoma growth through the modulation of antitumor T-cell response by serotonin-dependent and independent mechanisms.

Fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is widely used for the treatment of depressive symptoms of cancer patients. However, there are contradictory evidences about its effects on immunity and cancer. Thus, we studied the effects of fluoxetine on tumor growth and on antitumoral T-cell-mediated immunity.

Loss of hippocampal neuronal nitric oxide synthase contributes to the stress-related deficit in learning and memory.

Nitric oxide (NO) has been involved in many pathophysiological brain processes. However, the exact role of NO in the cognitive deficit associated to chronic stress exposure has not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the participation of hippocampal NO production and their regulation by protein kinase C (PKC) in the memory impairment induced in mice subjected to chronic mild stress model (CMS).