Posted by SLS on January 22, 2001, at 9:18:03
In reply to Re: Strange but does seretonin prevent colds,flu?, posted by JohnL on January 22, 2001, at 4:36:34
I have no idea if serotonin itself has the ability to resist infection.
Depression itself very often impacts negatively the immune system.
Depression probably produces a suppression of the immune system or make the body more vulnerable to infection via different routes. There is a relationship between the brain and the endocrine systems that it controls or influences. One of the major ones is known as the hypothalamo-pituatary-adrenal axis. It seems that this system becomes perturbed during depression and results in a chronically elevated level of cortisol secretion by the adrenal gland. Cortisol is sometimes referred as a "stress" hormone because it normally appears as a reaction to stress. However, in depression, it seems that the adrenal glands never shut down their production of cortisol when the external stress is resolved. One of the roles that cortisol plays is to suppress the immune system. Chronically elevated secretion of cortisol probably allows someone to become chronically vulnerable to both infection and cancer.
If a serotonergic antidepressant reduces depression, the immune system is allowed to recover and increase one's ability to fight infection. This is at least one explanation that includes the indirect influence of serotonin on the immune system. Someone more knowledgeable than me can address the details of how this occurs. Perhaps cortisol inhibits the division of stem cells. Maybe the influence of the brain is more direct.
Sorry. Just some more babbling.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:52150
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010122/msgs/52214.html