Effects of dopaminergic pathways on human neutrophil

The existence of a bidirectional communication between the immune system and the central nervous system was postulated some years ago by different researchers. More recently some evidence supports the notion that immune system can be affected by dopamine (DA). DA is a neurotransmitter of the central nervous system that exerts its effects through the activation of the five dopaminergic receptors (DR). DA can affect some functions of the cells of the immune system and this topic was widely investigated on the cells of adaptive immunity. Therefore, we decided to focus our attention on the different cell populations of the innate immunity and to explore the data present in literature about the evidence of the existence of a dopaminergic regulation of these cells. The first part of the thesis is a description of dopamine and of the dopaminergic system, with reference to interactions with the immune system, in particular the innate immunity. Moreover, in the last part of this first chapter are mentioned some diseases involving the innate immunity in which the role of dopaminergic pathway was postulated and in some case demonstrated. The second chapter is devoted to the characterization from the physiological point of view of the other major actors of the work, neutrophils (PMN). Also in this case, at the end of the chapter there is a section dedicated to the relevance of PMN in diseases in which the immune component is relevant. The third chapter represents the main results of my PhD project, based on the investigation of the role and relevance of the dopaminergic system in human neutrophils. The aim of this PhD research program was in fact, to characterize the presence of DR and if dopaminergic agent can affect some pivotal function of neutrophil in a receptor-dependent manner. Finally, a last chapter resumed the other projects that I have followed during the three year of my PhD course. The two attached files represent the results of some of them, that were conclude and published.