Effects of stressors and immune activating agents on peripheral and central cytokines in mouse strains that differ in stressor responsivity

► A social stressor augmented the effects of the immune challenges on corticosterone and sickness. ► Immune challenges increase circulating cytokines, and brain cytokine mRNA expression. ► A social stressor influenced brain cytokine expression elicited by immune challenge. ► Effects varied in a stress resilient and a stress vulnerable mouse strain. ► Effects in brain were independent of peripheral changes.