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Stress modulates calcium mobilization in immune cells

Y Sei1, T McIntyre, P Skolnick

  • 1Laboratory of Neuroscience, National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.

Life Sciences
|January 1, 1991
PubMed

Insights

Restraint stress impacts immune cell calcium signaling. Acute stress alters T-cell responses, while chronic stress temporarily suppresses calcium increases in CD4+ T cells and B cells, potentially leading to immunosuppression.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Stress significantly impacts immune function.
  • Calcium signaling is crucial for lymphocyte activation.
  • Understanding stress-induced immune modulation is vital for health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of acute and chronic restraint stress on mitogen-induced calcium signaling in mouse spleen lymphocytes.
  • To analyze stress-induced changes in specific lymphocyte subpopulations (CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, B cells).

Main Methods:

  • Dual-color flow cytometry was used to analyze cytoplasmic free-calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i) in lymphocyte subpopulations.
  • Mice were subjected to acute (2-hour) or chronic (2 hours daily for up to 21 days) restraint stress.
  • Mitogen stimulation was employed to assess calcium responses.

Main Results:

  • Acute stress suppressed [Ca2+]i in CD4+ T cells but enhanced it in CD8+ T cells.
  • Chronic stress (3 and 7 days) suppressed [Ca2+]i in CD4+ T cells, with effects diminishing by day 21.
  • Chronic stress had a modest suppressive effect on B cell calcium responses; CD8+ T cells were unaffected.
  • Stress predominantly affected CD4+ T cells, potentially reversing CD4/CD8 ratios and impacting immune responses.

Conclusions:

  • Stress significantly modulates calcium mobilization in lymphocytes.
  • Altered calcium signaling in lymphocytes, particularly CD4+ T cells, may be an early mechanism of stress-induced immunosuppression.
  • These findings highlight the intricate link between stress, calcium signaling, and immune function.

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