Scientists from Yale University have discovered that the immune system can affect the behavior of animals with allergies, causing them to avoid dangerous foods. Research published in the journal Nature.
The smell of seafood can cause severe nausea in people with seafood allergies and, therefore, they are more likely to avoid it. The same avoidance behavior is exhibited by people who develop food poisoning after eating certain foods. It was previously unclear whether the immune system plays any role in triggering these behaviors.
The researchers studied the behavior and immunity of mice that artificially caused allergic reactions to a protein previously found in chicken eggs. As expected, these mice tended to avoid egg white juice, while control mice preferred protein juice. The scientists found that these preferences persist for months in the animals.
The biologists also found that the egg-allergic mice lost their aversion to the protein in the water when they blocked IgE antibodies produced by the immune system. IgE antibodies induce the release of mast cells of the immune system, which play a critical role in communication between the immune system and areas of the brain that control the disgust response.
The study showed that without communication with the immune system, the brain cannot alert the body to potential dangers in the environment. In the future, understanding how the immune system remembers potential dangers may help suppress extreme reactions to many allergens and other pathogens, the authors write.
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