title: Roles of cytokines in the neural-immune interactions: modulation of NMDA responses by IFN-alpha.
abstract: Several lines of evidence have indicated that interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) induces a variety of central actions; e.g., fever anorexia, slow wave sleep and depression. However, little is known about the cellular mechanisms by which IFN-alpha affects neuronal activity. In the present article, the effects of recombinant human IFN-alpha on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced responses of rat medial preoptic (MPO) neurons were examined by means of slice patch method as an in vitro model of neural-immune interactions. The results suggest that IFN-alpha suppresses the NMDA responses through its action on opioid receptors and the production of free radicals such as hydroxyl radicals and nitric oxide (NO) due to the neuron-glial cell interactions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Kyushu University Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Katafuchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Take
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hori
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000502:physiology*; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000502:physiology*; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007473:Ion Channels; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate