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Glial Expression of Interleukin-18 and its Receptor After Excitotoxic Damage in the Mouse Hippocampus

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Abstract

Interleukin (IL)-18, a member of the IL-1 cytokine family, is an important mediator of peripheral inflammation and host defence responses. However, although IL-1 is a key proinflammatory cytokine in the brain, little is known about IL-18 changes in glial cells under excitotoxic neurodegeneration. In this study, we characterized the expressions of IL-18 and IL-18 receptor (IL-18R) in kainic acid (KA)-induced excitotoxicity in mouse hippocampus by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. IL-18 immunoreactivity was found in microglia whereas IL-18R immunoreactivity was observed in astrocytes. Levels of IL-18 and IL-18R in hippocampus homogenates increased progressively from day 1 post-KA and peaked at 3 days. This study demonstrates the cellular sources of IL-18 and IL-18R, and their temporal correlations after KA-insult, and suggests roles for IL-18 and IL-18R in glial cells in response to excitotoxic damage in the hippocampus.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the second stage Brain Korea 21 Project in 2007 and a grant (M103KV010018 04K2201 01850) from Brain Research Center of the 21st Century Frontier Research Program funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Republic of Korea. The authors thank Dr. S. Kohsaka, National Institute of Neuroscience, Japan, for the iba1 antibody.

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Correspondence to Sa Sun Cho.

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Jeon, G.S., Park, S.K., Park, S.W. et al. Glial Expression of Interleukin-18 and its Receptor After Excitotoxic Damage in the Mouse Hippocampus. Neurochem Res 33, 179–184 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-007-9434-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-007-9434-6

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