Meeting Abstract

S9.4  Tuesday, Jan. 6  The role of physiological constraints in psychoneuroimmunology ADAMO, Shelley A; Dalhousie University sadamo@dal.ca

Bidirectional connections between the immune system and nervous system exist in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Although progress has been made in understanding how the two systems interact, the adaptive function of these connections is largely unknown. My colleagues and I found that acute stress-induced immunosuppression occurs in insects (Gryllus texensis) because of a conflict between lipid transport and immune surveillance. Similarly, illness-induced anorexia in crickets (G. texensis) enhances immune function by preventing conflicts between digestive processes such as lipid transport and immune function. These studies suggest that some immune-neural connections exist to facilitate the shift of multifunctional molecules towards or away from immune function depending on the animals immediate requirements.