Abnormal IL-1β cytokine expression in the cerebellum of the ataxic mutant mice staggerer and Lurcher

• Published in: Brain research. Molecular brain research. Vol. 62; no. 2; pp. 224 - 227
• Main Authors: Vernet-der Garabedian, Béatrice, Lemaigre-Dubreuil, Yolande, Delhaye-Bouchaud, Nicole, Mariani, Jean
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 20.11.1998; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cerebellum; ELISA; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; IL-1β; Inflammation; Lurcher mutant mouse; Molecular and cellular biology; Neurodegeneration; Proinflammatory cytokine; staggerer mutant mouse; Cerebellum; staggerer mutant mouse; Neurodegeneration; Proinflammatory cytokine; Inflammation; IL-1β; Lurcher mutant mouse; ELISA; Cytokine; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Interleukin 1β; Gene expression; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Ataxia; Degeneration; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0169-328X; 1872-6941
• DOI: 10.1016/S0169-328X(98)00268-X

To assess the extent to which interleukin-1β (IL-1β) may contribute to the development and/or progression of neurodegenerative processes, we have examined the levels of IL-1β in the brain of two types of neurological mutant mice, staggerer and Lurcher. Using a quantitative immunological method (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, ELISA), we measured IL-1β in the cerebellum, hippocampus and cerebral cortex of mutant mice at baseline and after peripheral LPS treatment. Two types of IL-1β expression abnormalities were found in the mutant cerebella: higher basal level in Lurcher and a response to peripheral administration of LPS in staggerer. The association of IL-1β expression abnormalities with the only brain structure where a massive neurodegeneration occurs supports the role of proinflammatory cytokines in this process.