peripheral sympathetic denervation may modulate immune function via activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis

Together, these findings suggest that peripheral sympathetic denervation may modulate immune function via activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2000;917:923-34.

Increasing evidence suggests that the detrimental effects of glucocorticoid (GC) hypersecretion occur by activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in several human pathologies, including obesity, Alzheimer's disease, AIDS dementia, and depression. The different patterns of response by the HPA axis during chronic activation are an important consideration in selecting an animal model to assess HPA axis function in a particular disorder.

Detrimental effects of chronic hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation. From obesity to memory deficits
Raber J Mol Neurobiol 1998 Aug; 18(1): 1-22