A NEW THEORY ON THE COMMON EVOLUTIONARY ORIGIN OF NATURAL IMMUNITY, INFLAMMATION AND STRESS-RESPONSE - THE INVERTEBRATE PHAGOCYTIC IMMUNOCYTE AS AN EYEWITNESS

Data in favor of the hypothesis of the common evolutionary origin of n atural immunity inflammation and stress response are presented. These phenomena seem to be mediated by a common pool of molecules (POMC-deri ved peptides, cytokines, biogenic amines, glucocorticoids, and nitric oxide). Macrophages are able to release all the above mentioned molecu les. They play a primary role in defence mechanisms. Thus, we argue th at this cell can be considered the eye-witness of the common evolution ary origin of the immune and neuroendocrine systems. (C) Elsevier Scie nce Inc. 1998