Neural circuits activated during cohabitation with sick partner

Abstract

The bidirectional relationships between the nervous and immune systems are of great importance for the maintenance of homeostasis. Our laboratory showed that the long-term cohabitation with a sick partner (injected with Ehrlich tumor cells) produced behavioral, neurochemical, endocrinological and immunological changes. In particular, we reported an increase in locomotor activity and on hypothalamic norepinephrine turnover, a decreased in macrophages, neutrophils and dendritic cells activities and increased levels of plasmatic adrenaline and noradrenaline with no changes in corticosterone serum levels. These facts led them to suggest that animals present markedly physiological and homeostatic changed induced by cohabitation with a sick cage mate most likely, triggered by olfactory stimulation from odors released by their sick partners, In this respect, we have been studying under a neuroimmune perspective the influence of cohabitation for 14 days with a sick partner on pulmonary allergic inflammatory response in an experimental model of asthma. At the present moment, our studies have shown that cohabitation with sick partner exacerbates allergic lung inflammation. Thus, the goal of this project is to determine the neural circuits activated during cohabitation with an Ehrlich tumor bearing partner. The emphasis will be given to stress-activated pathways such as hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. (AU)