title: Blood to brain transport of interleukin links the immune and central nervous systems.
abstract: Interleukins (IL) are naturally occurring proteins that regulate, and thus link, both the immune system and the central nervous system (CNS). Since proteins are assumed not to be able to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), it is controversial how this linkage could occur. We show here that after iv injection of 125I-hIL-1 alpha, radioactivity in the brain eluted on HPLC in the position of the labeled cytokine. In addition, entry was inhibited by unlabeled hIL-1 alpha. Our demonstration of a saturable, carrier-mediated system that transports recombinant human IL-1 alpha in intact form from the blood into the CNS indicates a direct immune-CNS connection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, New Orleans, LA.
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Banks
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Kastin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001667:Binding, Competitive / Q000187:drug effects; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000276:immunology*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D007107:Immune System / Q000378:metabolism; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D011994:Recombinant Proteins