CYTOKINE-TO-BRAIN COMMUNICATION - A REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE MECHANISMS

It is becoming well accepted that products of the immune system (cytok ines) can signal the brain that infection has occurred. This cytokine- to-brain communication can result in marked alterations in brain funct ion and behavior. This review examines alternative mechanisms that hav e been proposed to explain how such immune products can reach the brai n via the blood to cause centrally-mediated ''illness'' responses. Fin ally, we describe a new view which argues that cytokines signal brain in quite a different manner, by stimulating afferent terminals of peri pheral nerves at local sites of synthesis and release.