Immune modulation within the brain: recruitment of inflammatory cells and increased major histocompatibility antigen expression following intracerebral injection of interferon-gamma.
Intracerebral injections of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) have multiple immunological effects on rat brain, affecting all anatomic compartments. Lymphocytes and other inflammatory cells are recruited to the injection site: CD4+ T-cells into the perivascular space, OX42+ monocytes/macrophages into brain parenchyma. IFN-gamma also recruits OX8+ cells into brain parenchyma. These OX8+ cells are not stained by 'pan' T-cell antibodies, however, suggesting that they may be natural killer cells. IFN-gamma also causes increased major histocompatibility complex expression on brain cells: class I antigen on local endothelial and ependymal cells, and class II antigen on microglial, ependymal, and perivascular cells throughout both hemispheres of the brain.
Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
M P
MP
Sethna
L A
LA
Lampson
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000276:immunology; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000032:analysis*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007371:Interferon-gamma