Effects of Mind-Body Training on Cytokines and Their Interactions with Catecholamines

Abstract

ObjectiveMind-body training (MBT) may control reactions to stress and regulate the nervous and immune systems. The present study was designed to assess the effects of MBT on plasma cytokines and their interactions with catecholamines.MethodsThe study group consisted of 80 subjects who practice MBT and a control group of 62 healthy subjects. Plasma catecholamine (norepinephrine, NE; epinephrine, E; and dopamine, DA) and cytokine (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IFN-gamma, and IL-10) levels were measured, and the differences between the MBT and control groups and the interactions of cytokines with catecholamines were investigated.ResultsA significant increase in IL-10+IFN-gamma was found in females of the MBT group compared with controls. Also, a significant increase of IL-10 (anti-inflammatory cytokine) in the MBT group was shown in a specific condition in which TNF-alpha and IL-6 (pro-inflammatory cytokines) are almost absent (≤1 ng/L) compared with controls. In the MBT group, significant positive correlations were found between IL-10 and the NE/E ratio and between IL-10 and the DA/E ratio, whereas the control group did not show any such correlations.ConclusionMBT may increase IL-10, under specific conditions such as a decrease of pro-inflammatory cytokines or E, which may regulate the stress response and possibly contribute to effective and beneficial interactions between the nervous and immune systems.

Effects of an Online Mind–Body Training Program on the Default Mode Network: An EEG Functional Connectivity Study

“…After watching an online video, participants were instructed to follow the MBT expert and to record their daily practice on the paper provided. The program consisted of movement-based meditation, which was designed to calm one’s mind, let negative emotions out, and to concentrate on bodily sensations 7 – 9 . The protocol of the program is described in detail in Supplementary Note.…”

Meditation and Yoga Practices as Potential Adjunctive Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19: A Brief Overview of Key Subjects

“…27,[36][37][38] It had also been found that meditation, as well as yoga practices, is capable of significantly increasing vagal tone and therefore could not only be effective against psychologic stress-based issues, including trauma, 39,40 but inflammatorybased diseases as well. 16,[41][42][43][44][45][46] Included in this consideration are studies documenting effects of a diverse range of meditative and yoga practices to promote anti-inflammatory and typically reduce proinflammatory cytokine activity, incuding natural killer (NK) cell activity and NK and T cell cytokine production, [45][46][47][48][49][50] which has been a topic of two systematic reviews. 51,52 For example, Bower et al 49 showed that 6 weeks of 20-min daily mindfulness meditation resulted in a significant downregulation of a 19-transcript composite of proinflammatory genes and a significant reduction of activity of the proinflammatory transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB).…”

“…Other studies show decreases in the circulating levels of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-12 and increases of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. 47,48,50 In specific patient groups or obese individuals, other studies document reductions in circulating levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and IL-6, 49,50,53 although these findings were not replicated by some investigators. 48 Some of the cytokine-related effects of seated meditation, breathing practices, and yoga asana practices are related to a reduction in sympathetic nervous system activation, as evidenced by parallel reductions in levels of the catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine.…”

“…48 Some of the cytokine-related effects of seated meditation, breathing practices, and yoga asana practices are related to a reduction in sympathetic nervous system activation, as evidenced by parallel reductions in levels of the catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine. 47,52,54 Studies also suggest differential effects of meditation practices on immune cell subsets, including NK and T cells, of relevance to the innate and adaptive immune systems. 55,56 The benefits of yoga therapies on the health of the innate immune system have also been demonstrated in a study showing that 90 min of yogic asana stretching is able to increase expression of the two important antimicrobial peptides, b-defensin and HBD-2 expression.…”

Brain education-based meditation for patients with hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes

“…Its effects have been investigated in various settings such as randomized controlled trials for novice or cross-sectional studies for long-term meditators; off/online training; healthy individuals, and breast cancer patients. They include psychological improvements such as decreases in stress, [24] anxiety, [28] depression, [23] fatigue [28] and increases in positive effect, [24] quality of life [28] ; behavioral improvements such as increases in sleep quality, [22,23] problem solving [31] ; physiological effects such as increases in plasma nitric oxide, [21] dopamine, [24] and interleukin 10 [30] ; brain structural changes such as thickening of prefrontal cortex area [27] and alterations in conectivities between insula and several brain regions. [20] Findings in certain psychological improvements indicate its association with epigenetic changes.…”