Serotonin – A link between disgust and immunity?

Summary Immune systems maintain the integrity of organisms by recognising and attacking foreign substances and/or pathogens. However, immune defences can only take place following direct contact with threats. Disgust can prevent infection before contact with potential pathogens: we propose that disg...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medical hypotheses 2007-01, Vol.68 (1), p.61-66
Main Authors: Rubio-Godoy, M, Aunger, R, Curtis, V
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Avoidance Learning
Brain - immunology
Escape Reaction
Humans
Immunity, Innate - immunology
Internal Medicine
Models, Immunological
Models, Neurological
Reflex - immunology
Serotonin - immunology
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Summary:Summary Immune systems maintain the integrity of organisms by recognising and attacking foreign substances and/or pathogens. However, immune defences can only take place following direct contact with threats. Disgust can prevent infection before contact with potential pathogens: we propose that disgust is an evolved nervous response to a signal reliably co-occurring with infectious environmental disease threats, which motivates behaviour leading to the avoidance of infection. We hypothesize that disgust and immunity form a defensive continuum with overlaps: disgust acts prior to contact with the infectious agent and prevents it from getting into the body; emesis (vomiting) gets it out once inside the gastrointestinal tract, before penetration of the body boundaries; and immunity expels or kills infectious threats following penetration of the body proper. We further propose that serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) might be the link between disgust and immunity. 5-HT plays a central role in the induction of the emetic reflex and is possibly involved in the development of learned aversion; it is also a signal used by immune cells and modulates both innate and acquired immunity. We therefore propose 5-HT might mediate the interaction between these two defensive mechanisms.
ISSN:0306-9877
1532-2777
DOI:10.1016/j.mehy.2006.06.036