Interleukin-1 promotes expression and phosphorylation of neurofilament and tau proteins in vivo.
Slow-release, IL-1-impregnated pellets implanted in rat cerebral cortex to simulate chronic overexpression of IL-1 significantly increased relative tissue levels of tau mRNA and of tau immunoreactivity in neuronal cell bodies and in swollen dystrophic neurites that also overexpressed phosphorylated and nonphosphorylated neurofilament epitopes. In addition, rats with IL-1-impregnated pellets, but not control rats or those with sham pellets, showed focal immunoreactivity for hyperphosphorylated tau epitopes present in paired helical filaments. Our results are consistent with an important driving role for IL-1 in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer-type neuronal and neuritic changes.
Sheng
J G
JG
Department of Geriatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205, USA.
Zhu
S G
SG
Jones
R A
RA
Griffin
W S
WS
Mrak
R E
RE
D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004343:Drug Implants; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004343:Drug Implants; D007375:Interleukin-1; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D016875:tau Proteins