title: Low doses of interleukin-1beta improve the leverpress avoidance performance of Sprague-Dawley rats.
abstract: Recent research has indicated that the pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), can affect learning and memory. We injected male Sprague-Dawley rats with IL-1beta (1.0, 3.0, or 6.0 microg/kg, i.p.) or saline vehicle, 24h before a single 4-h session of leverpress escape/avoidance conditioning. No effect of IL-1beta at any dose was observed in the number of escape responses across the 4-h session. However, subjects treated with the two lower doses (1.0 and 3.0 microg/kg) of IL-1beta performed more avoidance responses during the final hour of the 4-h session than the other two groups. Subjects treated with the highest dose of IL-1beta (6.0 microg/kg) did not differ from controls. Results are discussed in terms of the possible mechanisms behind the IL-1beta-induced enhancement of learning, as well as the observed dose-response relationship.
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Services 151, VA Medical Center, 3900 Woodland Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. francis.brennan@med.va.gov
authors.forename: Francis X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: Kevin D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Servatius
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004924:Escape Reaction / Q000187:drug effects*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1