The Role of Norepinephrine and α-Adrenergic Receptors in Acute Stress-Induced Changes in Granulocytes and Monocytes

Bibliographic Data

ID19307355
AuthorsDaniel Beis (0000-0002-8028-0975, University of Zurich), Roland Von Känel (0000-0002-8929-5129), Nadja Heimgartner (0000-0002-4020-1101), Claudia Zuccarella‐Hackl (0000-0001-5267-9383), Alexander Bürkle (0000-0003-1069-2656), Ulrike Ehlert (0000-0002-1982-8321), Petra H Wirtz (0000-0002-4897-1645, corresponding author)
Year2018
Volume80
Issue7
Pages649-658
Publication date2018-09-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychosomatic Medicine (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-3174 • E-ISSN: 1534-7796
PublisherOvid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1097/psy.0000000000000620
PMID29965944
OpenAlexW2810669868
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited77

OBJECTIVE: Acute stress induces redistribution of circulating leucocytes in humans. Although effects on lymphocytes as adaptive immune cells are well understood, the mechanisms underlying stress effects on granulocytes and monocytes as innate immune blood cells are still elusive. We investigated whether the stress hormone norepinephrine (NE) and α-adrenergic receptors (α-ADRs) may play a mediating role. METHODS: In a stress study, we cross-sectionally tested 44 healthy men for associations between stress-induced NE increases and simultaneous granulocyte and monocyte cell count increases, as measured immediately before and several times after the Trier Social Stress Test. In a subsequent infusion study, 21 healthy men participated in three different experimental trials with sequential infusions of 1- and 15-minute duration with varying substances (saline as placebo, the nonspecific α-ADR blocker phentolamine [2.5 mg/min], and NE [5 μg/min]): trial 1 = saline+saline, trial 2 = saline+NE, trial 3 = phentolamine+NE. Granulocyte and monocyte cell numbers were assessed before, immediately after, 10 minutes, and 30 minutes after infusion procedures. RESULTS: In the stress study, higher NE related to higher neutrophil stress changes (β = .31, p = .045, R change = .09), but not epinephrine stress changes. In the infusion study, saline+NE induced significant increases in neutrophil (F(3/60) = 43.50, p < .001, η = .69) and monocyte (F(3/60) = 18.56, p < .001, η = .48) numbers compared with saline+saline. With phentolamine+NE, neutrophil (F(3/60) = 14.41, p < .001, η = .42) and monocyte counts (F(2.23/44.6) = 4.32, p = .016, η = .18) remained increased compared with saline+saline but were lower compared with saline+NE (neutrophils: F(3/60) = 19.55, p < .001, η = .494, monocytes: F(3/60) = 2.54, p = .065, η = .11) indicating partial mediation by α-ADRs. Trials did not differ in eosinophil and basophil count reactivity. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that NE-induced immediate increases in neutrophil and monocyte numbers resemble psychosocial stress effects and can be reduced by blockade of α-ADRs

Adrenergic · Adrenergic receptor · Dopamine · Norepinephrine · Receptor · Adrenal Hormones and Disorders · Cancer, Stress, Anesthesia, and Immune Response · Endocrinology · Internal Medicine · Medicine · Stress Responses and Cortisol

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