title: Differential IL-1 synthesis by astrocytes from Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus-susceptible and -resistant strains of mice.
abstract: Increasing evidence shows that interleukin-1 (IL-1) contributes to inflammatory processes, such as experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) and virus-induced demyelination, inside the central nervous system (CNS). Using primary cultures of mouse astrocytes, we show that these glial cells can be induced to produce IL-1 alpha when infected with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV). This was true for astrocytes from SJL/J mice, a strain susceptible to TMEV-induced demyelination. Conversely, BALB/c astrocytes, derived from animals genetically resistant to demyelination, did not produce IL-1 alpha in detectable amounts. Therefore, a differential IL-1 gene expression, which is strain specific, is demonstrated after TMEV infection in astrocytes. The release of IL-1 alpha by SJL astrocytes was studied from kinetic, infectivity, and immunochemical points of view. Since IL-1 plays a critical role in the immune response, its production by astrocytes in some strains of mice may contribute to virus-induced susceptibility and to inflammation associated with this experimental model of multiple sclerosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroimmunology, Instituto Cajal, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000276:immunology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology*; D004680:Maus Elberfeld virus / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1