美国耶鲁大学医学院Ruslan Medzhitov等研究人员合作发现，对食物过敏原的免疫感应促进回避行为。这一研究成果于2023年7月12日在线发表在国际学术期刊《自然》上。
研究人员利用小鼠食物过敏模型表明，过敏致敏会驱动抗原特异性回避行为。摄入过敏原会激活大脑中参与对厌恶刺激反应的区域，包括独束核、臂旁核和中央杏仁核。过敏原回避需要IgE抗体和肥大细胞，但先于肠道过敏性炎症的发生。过敏原特异性IgE和肥大细胞促进回避的能力需要半胱氨酰白三烯和生长与分化因子15（GDF15）。
最后，研究人员通过比较C57BL/6和BALB/c小鼠品系发现，遗传背景对回避行为有很大影响。因此，这些研究结果表明，抗原特异性行为修饰可能是为了促进生态位选择来避免不利环境而演化的。
据悉，免疫系统除了具有抵御病原体的典型功能外，还能改变行为。免疫系统改变行为的范围和机制目前还不十分清楚。
附：英文原文
Title: Immune sensing of food allergens promotes avoidance behaviour
Author: Florsheim, Esther B., Bachtel, Nathaniel D., Cullen, Jaime, Lima, Bruna G. C., Godazgar, Mahdieh, Carvalho, Fernando, Chatain, Carolina P., Zimmer, Marcelo R., Zhang, Cuiling, Gautier, Gregory, Launay, Pierre, Wang, Andrew, Dietrich, Marcelo O., Medzhitov, Ruslan
Issue&Volume: 2023-07-12
Abstract: In addition to its canonical function of protection from pathogens, the immune system can also alter behaviour1,2. The scope and mechanisms of behavioural modifications by the immune system is not yet well understood. Here, using mouse models of food allergy, we show that allergic sensitization drives antigen-specific avoidance behaviour. Allergen ingestion activates brain areas involved in the response to aversive stimuli, including the nucleus of tractus solitarius, parabrachial nucleus, and central amygdala. Allergen avoidance requires IgE antibodies and mast cells but precedes the development of gut allergic inflammation. The ability of allergen-specific IgE and mast cells to promote avoidance requires cysteinyl leukotrienes and growth and differentiation factor 15 (GDF15). Finally, a comparison of C57BL/6 and BALB/c mouse strains revealed a strong effect of the genetic background on the avoidance behaviour. These findings thus point to antigen-specific behavioural modifications that likely evolved to promote niche selection to avoid unfavourable environments.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06362-4
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06362-4
Nature：《自然》，创刊于1869年。隶属于施普林格·自然出版集团，最新IF：69.504
官方网址：http://www.nature.com/
投稿链接：http://www.nature.com/authors/submit_manuscript.html
本期文章：《自然》：Online/在线发表
