title: Timecourse and corticosterone sensitivity of the brain, pituitary, and serum interleukin-1beta protein response to acute stress.
abstract: Activation of peripheral immune cells leads to increases of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) mRNA, immunoreactivity, and protein levels in brain and pituitary. Furthermore, IL-1beta in brain plays a role in mediating many of the behavioral, physiological, and endocrine adjustments induced by immune activation. A similarity between the consequences of immune activation and exposure to stressors has often been noted, but the potential relationship between stress and brain IL-1beta has received very little attention. A prior report indicated that exposure to inescapable tailshocks (IS) raised levels of brain IL-1beta protein 2 h after IS, but only in adrenalectomized (and basal corticosterone replaced) subjects. The studies reported here explore this issue in more detail. A more careful examination revealed that IL-1beta protein levels in hypothalamus were elevated by IS in intact subjects, although adrenalectomy, ADX (with basal corticosterone replacement) exaggerated this effect. IL-1beta protein increases were already present immediately after the stress session, both in the hypothalamus and in other brain regions in adrenalectomized subjects, and no longer present 24 h later. Furthermore, IS elevated levels of IL-1beta protein in the pituitary, and did so in both intact and adrenalectomized subjects. IS also produced increased blood levels of IL-1beta, but only in adrenalectomized subjects. Finally, the administration of corticosterone in an amount that led to blood levels in adrenalectomized subjects that match those produced by IS, inhibited the IS-induced rise in IL-1beta in hypothalamus and pituitary, but not in other brain regions or blood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Campus box 345, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA.
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Deak
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Will
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Hunsaker
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fleshner
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Maier
mesh_terms: D000315:Adrenalectomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D003345:Corticosterone