Our goal continues to be the elaboration and mediation of behaviorally conditioned alterations in immunologic reactivity. Current emphasis is on experimental paradigms using naturally-occurring or endogenous immunomodulating stimuli rather than immunopharmacologic agents as unconditioned stimuli (UCSs) for the conditioned modulation of immunity. Based on recently collected data, we propose to condition an enhancement of antibody production using antigens as UCSs. Reexposing conditioned mice to a gustatory CS previously paired with antigen potentiates the subsequent antibody response to a minimally effective dose of that antigen. We propose to: - address methodological issues calculated to optimize the experimental protocol and, in addition to the primary comparison between conditioned animals that are or are not reexposed to the CS at the time of testing, mice preexposed to the CS (which should attenuate the conditioned response) or given unreinforced exposures to the CS between conditioning and testing (experimental extinction) will be included to confirm that associative processes are involved in the conditioned enhancement of antibody production; -assess the generality of the conditioned response by using different antigenic UCSs; and -assess the specificity of the response (i.e., determine if the conditioned changes responsible for enhanced antibody production are a consequence of immune reactions specific to the antigen used as the UCS or are mediated by nonspecific immunologic or neuroendocrine reactions induced by immunization). In pursuing the mediating mechanisms, the effects of conditioning on B and T cell functions and on cytokines (interleukin-1 and -2) will be examined. The proposed research will increase our understanding of the means by which behavior can serve an immunoregulatory function and provide an experimental foundation for and new approaches to the study of adaptive processes in health and in a variety of disease processes such as autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and AIDS which involve disordered regulation of the immune system.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01MH042051-16A1
Application #
3381046
Study Section
Psychobiological, Biological, and Neurosciences Subcommittee (MHAI)
Project Start
1989-07-01
Project End
1996-03-31
Budget Start
1993-04-01
Budget End
1994-03-31
Support Year
16
Fiscal Year
1993
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Rochester
Department
Type
Schools of Dentistry
DUNS #
208469486
City
Rochester
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14627
Moynihan, J A; Ader, R (1996) Psychoneuroimmunology: animal models of disease. Psychosom Med 58:546-58
Moynihan, J A; Karp, J D; Cohen, N et al. (1994) Alterations in interleukin-4 and antibody production following pheromone exposure: role of glucocorticoids. J Neuroimmunol 54:51-8
Tuttle, R S; Moynihan, J A; Grota, L J et al. (1994) CO2 anesthesia facilitates a serum antibody response to orally-administered antigens. Life Sci 55:879-84
Karp, J D; Cohen, N; Moynihan, J A (1994) Quantitative differences in interleukin-2 and interleukin-4 production by antigen-stimulated splenocytes from individually- and group-housed mice. Life Sci 55:789-95
Ader, R; Kelly, K; Moynihan, J A et al. (1993) Conditioned enhancement of antibody production using antigen as the unconditioned stimulus. Brain Behav Immun 7:334-43
Cocke, R; Moynihan, J A; Cohen, N et al. (1993) Exposure to conspecific alarm chemosignals alters immune responses in BALB/c mice. Brain Behav Immun 7:36-46
Kusnecov, A V; Grota, L J; Schmidt, S G et al. (1992) Decreased herpes simplex viral immunity and enhanced pathogenesis following stressor administration in mice. J Neuroimmunol 38:129-37
Kusnecov, A W; Cohen, N; Moynihan, J (1992) Adjuvant effects of freely ingested cholera toxin on systemic antibody and DTH responses to protein antigen. Reg Immunol 4:153-61
Ader, R; Cohen, N (1992) Conditioned immunopharmacologic effects on cell-mediated immunity. Int J Immunopharmacol 14:323-7
Moynihan, J A; Brenner, G J; Ader, R et al. (1992) The effects of handling adult mice on immunologically relevant processes. Ann N Y Acad Sci 650:262-7

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