Neuroimmunomodulation: Neural anatomical basis for impairment and facilitation

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Abstract
Rats with bilateral electrolytic lesions of specific limbic nuclei show alterations in lymphoid cell number and in lymphocyte activation induced in vitro by concanavalin A (Con A). The number of splenocytes decreases after lesioning in the anterior hypothalamus (p < 0.001), ventromedial hypothalamus (p < 0.002), and mamillary bodies (p < 0.001). The number of thymocytes decreases after lesioning of the anterior hypothalamus (p < 0.001) and increases after hippocampal lesioning (p < 0.001). Spleen cell responsivensess to Con A decreases subsequent to lesioning of the anterior hypothalamus, whereas reactivity was enhanced after lesion placement in the mamillary bodies (p < 0.002), hippocampus (p < 0.001), and amygdaloid complex (p < 0.001). Thymocyte mitogen reactivity is increased by lesions of the hipocampus (p < 0.001), and amygdaloid complex (p < 0.001). These effects manifest themselves maximally 4 days after lesioning, with a return to normal by day 14. These preliminary data indicate that quantitative and qualitative lymphocyte functions are altered by ablation of selected brain nuclei, thereby suggesting the presence of neural modulation of immune function.