Stress and Catecholamines Up-Regulate Proinflammatory Cytokine Production and Neutrophil Infiltration in Experimental Colitis
A recent Brain, Behavior and Immunity study indicates that psychological stress contributes to the exacerbation of the murine model of colitis by promoting the mobilization and entry of neutrophils in the colon. This appears to be achieved by the up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokine and chemokine production and STAT3 signaling, and involves β1/β2-adrenergic receptors activation. Inflammatory […]
Chronic Stress Induces Shrinkage of Medial Amygdala Neurons in Mice: Recovery by the Fast-Acting Candidate Antidepressant Acetyl-L-Carnitine
A recent study in Molecular Psychiatry provides new evidence that chronic stress generates structural remodelling of the brain amygdala, and particularly the shrinkage of medial amygdala neurons in mice. Chronic stress has been linked to cognitive impairment, but it is also known that stress modifies the neuronal architecture in several brain cognitive areas. However, little […]
Deficiency of Stress Resilience in Late Adolescence Linked To Increased Risk of Hypertension in Adulthood
A new study published in the journal Heart indicates that men with low stress resilience during youth are prone to approximately 40% increase in the risk of developing hypertension in later life. Of note, the combination of low stress resilience and high body mass index (BMI) triples the hypertension risk. High blood pressure is a […]
Stress May Start Driving Cardiovascular and Metabolic Risk Early In Life: Evidence from the 1958 British Birth Cohort Study
Ashley Winning et al. from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts report in the the Journal of the the American College of Cardiology that psychological stress in childhood, adulthood or persistent across a person’s life can contribute to high cardiovascular and metabolic risk. Many clinical and epidemiological studies have documented the […]
New Evidence That Psychological Stress Contributes To Peptic Ulcers Development
A new study published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology provides new evidence that stress is related to an increased risk of peptic ulcers. Since the pioneering work of Hans Selye in the 1930s, psychological stress was often linked to the induction and progression of peptic ulcers. In the 1950s-60s, Selye began to promote […]
The Association of Body Composition and Novel Bioimpedance Measurements with Chronic Stress and Inflammation Biomarkers
A recent study by Constantine Tsigos et al., published in the European Journal of Clinical Investigation (EJCI) indicates that the presence of ‘medically unexplainable symptoms’ (MUS) is an index of chronic stress and inflammation, and that advanced bioimpedance analysis may provide a useful, bloodless and rapid tool in the clinical setting. Chronic stress plays two […]
Stress-Induced β2-Adrenoceptor-Mediated M2 Macrophage Polarization Promoting Tumor Growth in a Mouse Model of Breast Cancer
A new study published in the BMB Reports indicates that stress hormones such as epinephrine (adrenaline) may promote the transformation of M1-type macrophages to M2-type macrophages and, thus, accelerate tumor growth in a mouse model of breast cancer. Several studies have linked psychological stress and breast cancer risk, associating with the involvement of stress mediators […]
Further Evidence That Prenatal Exposure to Stress May Increase the Risk of Asthma Development in Later Life
A recent study published in the BioMed Research International journal suggests that maternal stress during pregnancy is able to increase offspring risk and susceptibility to asthma. Previous research indicates that prenatal and early-life stress can modify infant immune function in the long-term, including conferring a higher risk for childhood asthma (MK Pincus-Knackstedt et al., 2006; […]
New Evidence that Stress Mediators Directly Affect Hematopoiesis and Increase Neutrophil and Monocyte Production
A study published in Nature Medicine suggests that stress mediators may also directly activate hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which increase proliferation and differentiate into downstream progenitor cells, with the end result of an accelerated neutrophil and monocyte production. Acute stress is known to induce a transient leukocytosis, mostly due to an increase in natural killer […]
Chronic Stress and IL-10/STAT3 Pathway’s Induction
A study published in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity journal indicates that the interleukin (IL)-10/STAT3 pathway may play a key role in the immunosuppression induced by chronic stress. IL-10 is a major anti-inflammatory cytokine, which possesses potent immunosuppressive actions. Stress mediators, particularly catecholamines (CAs), are potent IL-10 inducers, and in clinical conditions such as brain trauma, […]
