Mechanisms of the behavioural effects of cytokines

摘要: Sickness behavior refers to the coordinated set of behavioral changes that develop in sick individuals during course an infection. A individual typically displays depressed locomotor activity and little or no interest his physical social environment. Body care activities are usually absent ingestive is profoundly despite increased metabolism necessary for fever response. Since initial demonstration late eighties similar symptoms induced healthy subjects by peripheral central injection proinflammatory cytokines released activated monocytes macrophages host response infection, mechanisms cytokine-induced sickness behaviour have been subject intense research, carried out at several levels investigation. The purpose present chapter review results obtained this field last decade. At behavioural level, there now clear evidence showing not result weakness debilitation affecting individual, but expression a motivational state reorganizes organism’s priorities cope with pathogenic microorganisms. organ aspect important since it implies endogenous signals likely act on brain activate neural structures origin subjective, physiological components sickness. presence cytokine receptors accordance view.