Host: The Japanese Pharmacological Society
Name : The 97th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Pharmacological Society
Number : 97
Location : [in Japanese]
Date : December 14, 2023 - December 16, 2023
The interaction between the nervous system and the immune system has received much attention. Using a mouse model of cerebral infarction, we researched about the importance of immune responses during the acute and chronic phases after stroke. We have found that innate immune-mediated inflammation plays a major role in the acute phase, whereas a large number of T cells infiltrate the brain in the chronic phase. In particular, we found that regulatory T cells (Treg) acquire brain-specific properties and contribute to the recovery of neurological symptoms by regulating excessive activation of microglia and astrocytes.
Tregs are also elevated in the peripheral blood during the chronic phase of stroke, and when stroke recurs, Tregs are elevated and inflammation is suppressed, resulting in reduced infarct volume in the brain. Tregs with the same T cell receptor were more likely to infiltrate during initial and recurrent infarction, suggesting that once Tregs recognize the antigen, they can quickly reactivate and respond. We also identified oxytocin as another inhibitory factor that is elevated in the brain and peripheral blood during the chronic phase of stroke. Oxytocin reduced brain infarction, and oxytocin receptor antagonists delayed recovery of neurological symptoms during the chronic phase of stroke, suggesting that oxytocin may be important in suppressing inflammation.
