IL-1β, IL-1 receptor type I and iNOS gene expression in rat brain vasculature and perivascular areas

Ma Li Wong, Peter B. Bongiorno, Amer Al-Shekhlee, Anna Esposito, Pooja Khatri, Julio Licinio

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

61 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The mechanism by which IL-1β exerts its actions in the brain during systemic inflammation is not fully understood, as neither IL-1 receptor gene expression nor IL-1 binding have been identified in significant levels in key areas that respond to IL-1β. Having hypothesized that perivascular nitric oxide (NO) might modulate the effects of systemic IL-1β in the brain, we studied the expression of the genes encoding for IL-1β, the signal-transducing IL-1 receptor type I (IL-1RI) and inducible NO synthase (iNOS) constitutively and during systemic inflammation in vascular and perivascular regions of the rat brain. Our results show that IL-1RI is constitutively expressed at the interface of the vascular wall and perivascular glia. During systemic inflammation there is induction of IL-1β gene expression in the vascular wall, accompanied by perivascular induction of iNOS mRNA. We conclude that during systemic inflammation vascular IL-1β, binding to vascular and perivascular IL-1RI receptors, may induce perivascular iNOS gene expression, leading to the production of NO and modulation of the effects of IL-1β in the brain. We propose that the vascular and perivascular induction of iNOS mRNA by IL-1β might represent a mechanism for the modulation of the central nervous system effects of peripheral inflammatory mediators.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2445-2448
Number of pages4
JournalNeuroReport
Volume7
Issue number15-17
DOIs
Publication statusPublished or Issued - 1996
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Brain vasculature
  • In situ hybridization Interleukin-1
  • Interleukin-1 receptors
  • Lipopolysaccharide
  • Nitric oxide
  • Nitric oxide synthase
  • Sepsis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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