TY - JOUR
T1 - Cholinergic status modulations in human volunteers under acute inflammation
AU - Ofek, Keren
AU - Krabbe, Karen S
AU - Evron, Tama
AU - Debecco, Meir
AU - Nielsen, Anders R
AU - Brunnsgaad, Helle
AU - Yirmiya, Raz
AU - Soreq, Hermona
AU - Pedersen, Bente K
PY - 2007/11
Y1 - 2007/11
N2 - Cholinergic Status, the total soluble circulation capacity for acetylcholine hydrolysis, was tested for putative involvement in individual variabilities of the recruitment of immune cells in response to endotoxin challenge. Young (average age 26) and elderly (average age 70) volunteers injected with either Escherichia coli endotoxin or saline on two different occasions were first designated Enhancers and Suppressors if they showed increase or decrease, respectively, in plasma acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity 1.5 h after endotoxin administration compared to saline. Enhancers showed significant co-increases in plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and paraoxonase (PON1) activities, accompanied by rapid recovery of lymphocyte counts. Young Enhancers alone showed pronounced post-exposure increases in the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), and upregulation of the normally rare, stress-induced AChE-R variant, suggesting age-associated exhaustion of the cholinergic effects on recruiting innate immune reactions to endotoxin challenge. Importantly, IL-6 injected to young volunteers or administered in vitro to primary mononuclear blood cells caused upregulation of AChE, but not BChE or PON1, excluding it from being the sole cause for this extended response. Interestingly, Suppressors but not Enhancers showed improved post-exposure working memory performance, indicating that limited cholinergic reactions may be beneficial for cognition. Our findings establish Cholinergic Status modulations as early facilitators and predictors of individual variabilities in the peripheral response to infection.
AB - Cholinergic Status, the total soluble circulation capacity for acetylcholine hydrolysis, was tested for putative involvement in individual variabilities of the recruitment of immune cells in response to endotoxin challenge. Young (average age 26) and elderly (average age 70) volunteers injected with either Escherichia coli endotoxin or saline on two different occasions were first designated Enhancers and Suppressors if they showed increase or decrease, respectively, in plasma acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity 1.5 h after endotoxin administration compared to saline. Enhancers showed significant co-increases in plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and paraoxonase (PON1) activities, accompanied by rapid recovery of lymphocyte counts. Young Enhancers alone showed pronounced post-exposure increases in the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6), and upregulation of the normally rare, stress-induced AChE-R variant, suggesting age-associated exhaustion of the cholinergic effects on recruiting innate immune reactions to endotoxin challenge. Importantly, IL-6 injected to young volunteers or administered in vitro to primary mononuclear blood cells caused upregulation of AChE, but not BChE or PON1, excluding it from being the sole cause for this extended response. Interestingly, Suppressors but not Enhancers showed improved post-exposure working memory performance, indicating that limited cholinergic reactions may be beneficial for cognition. Our findings establish Cholinergic Status modulations as early facilitators and predictors of individual variabilities in the peripheral response to infection.
KW - Acetylcholinesterase/genetics
KW - Acute Disease
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Attention/drug effects
KW - Biomarkers/metabolism
KW - Butyrylcholinesterase/metabolism
KW - Choline/metabolism
KW - Endotoxins/pharmacology
KW - Humans
KW - Immunity, Innate/drug effects
KW - Inflammation/metabolism
KW - Interleukin-6/administration & dosage
KW - Male
KW - Memory/drug effects
KW - Recombinant Proteins/administration & dosage
KW - Up-Regulation/drug effects
U2 - 10.1007/s00109-007-0226-x
DO - 10.1007/s00109-007-0226-x
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 17657467
SN - 0946-2716
VL - 85
SP - 1239
EP - 1251
JO - Journal of molecular medicine (Berlin, Germany)
JF - Journal of molecular medicine (Berlin, Germany)
IS - 11
ER -