lecture 4 Flashcards
what is one of the ways we immediately react to injuries or viruses
inflammation
how are cortisol and inflammation related
increased cortisol leads to increased inflammation
acute inflammation
seconds to days
chronic inflammation
weeks to months, associated w pathologies/age related diseases
what are cytokines + their purpose
proteins secreted by cells for intracellular signaling and communication
critical in modulation and regulation of innate and adaptive immune system
can stimulate movement of cells toward site of inflammation, infection, or trauma
pro inflammatory cytokines
enhance or stimulate inflammatory response
anti inflammatory cytokines
reduce or dampen inflammatory response
c reactive protein (CRP)
protein made by liver in response to inflammation
it is a strong indicator of systemic inflammation
study on CRP and pneumonia results + implication
those w more severe pneumonia have increasing CRP in body, suggesting that as we get sicker we have increase of inflammation
increased CRP in the blood is associated w mental health and severe influenza, true or false?
true
what is another word for cytokine storms?
hypercytokinemia
what causes cytokine storms, and why does it happen?
caused by uncontrolled or excessive release of pro inflammatory cytokines
why it happens:
- infection triggers a response
- cytokine are released
- over release of pro inflammatory overrides the anti inflammatory release, so the pro inflammatory just keeps going because there is nothing to counteract it
what is IL-6 and what do they inform us about
pro inflammatory cytokine
informs us about inflammation response intensity
what does too much cytokine activity (cytokine storm) lead to?
endothelial dysfunction
what happens when endothelial dysfunction occurs?
endothelium breaks down and permeability is increased
inflammatory responses follow, and sepsis can even occur
makes it more likely for a cell not to function normally and receive a virus
what is acute respiratory distress syndrome
a severe form of acute lung injury
describe the process of acute lung injury
endothelium barriers breaks down and permeability increases
- lots of endothelium debris in the alveoli of the lungs
- walls of alveoli thicken and get more rigid due to inflammation
- this thickness makes it hard for us to breathe
challenges with treating hypercytokinemia
we tend to focus on an anti inflammatory approach, but inflammation is usually happening for a REASON, so we should look at the cause of the inflammation first
what is psychoneuroendocrinology
field of research integrating psych, endocrinology, and neuroscience to study interactions between brain and hormonal function
relationship between cytokines and mental health
increased cytokines connected to increased stress, severity of mental health symptoms, burnout, and lower cognitive control
UCLA loneliness study
- there was an under expression of genes with anti inflammatory glucocorticoid elements
- there was an over expression of genes with pro inflammatory transcription factors
conclusion:
if you perceive yourself as isolated and lonely, it can create an over expression of pro inflammatory transcription
Cohen study on social support and immune functioning (method+findings)
isolated ppl and exposed them all to a flu virus and made them isolate
asked them to report stress levels and waited to see who got sick
findings:
- those w severe stress (over a month) had double the risk of getting the virus
- those w severe stress (over 2 years) had quadrupled risk of getting virus
- interpersonal and job stress were most strong predictors of stress
- HPA axis was low due to prior stress, and their cortisol lvls increased, which weakens immune system, making it easier to get sick
study on caregivers and stress
- gave former and current caregivers and controls the flu shot
results:
- current caregivers had lowest number of antibody response throughout 6 months following shot (the shot was less effective on them)
implications:
- stress suppresses immune response to vaccines and antibiotics
relationship between age and telomeres
with age our telomeres get smaller, so we show signs of aging bc body cannot reproduce the damaged chromosomes
study on telomeres and stress
chronic caregivers had shorter telomeres and they degenerated faster
caregivers in social groups had lower rates of telomere degradation
implication:
- social support slows down telomere degradation
- the more stress you perceived yourself to be, the more you are aging yourself!
how can you boost your microbiome
exposure to plants and animals
relationship between negative moods (depression and anxiety) with cytokines and stress
negative mood enhances production of pro inflammatory cytokines
negative mood causes increased risk for infection, and delayed wound healing
probiotics
live microorganisms that can be beneficial to health when consumed or applied to body
study on probiotics
diet with increased probiotic for 30 days vs a placebo
probiotic group had lower lvls of anxiety, depression, and somatization condition, as well as lower cortisol
hypovitaminosis D
decreased muscle function and performance, increase in disability
hormones and immune system relationship
hormones act as immunomodulators, altering the sensitivity of immune system
how does exercise reduce depression and stress
burns off energy
improves cardiovascular abilities
prevents immune system from getting repressed
endorphins feel good
any alteration in balance between anti and pro inflammatory cytokines results in:
exaggerated sickness response to activation of peripheral immune system or direct activation of brain cytokine system
study on positive emotion and immune function
told participants to feel care and compassion for 5 minutes
- 41% increase in IgA levels over next 6 hours
5 days later told them to imagine an experience that made you very angry and recapture that feeling for 5 minutes
- IgA levels dropped to about 1/2 of what they were before the anger introduction
study on awe and immune system
showing ppl images of awe inspiring things resulted in lower levels of IL-6
