Intranasal administration of human IL-6 increases the severity of chemically induced seizures in rats.
Here we study the role of a pleiotropic pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-6 (IL-6), in epilepsy. To examine this problem, we used human recombinant IL-6 applied intranasally (400 ng/40 microl) to rats 1h before seizures induced by systemic injection of pentylenenetrazole (PTZ, 75 mg/kg). Overall, compared to the saline-treated control animals (n = 11 in each group), IL-6-treated rats demonstrated elevated levels of IL-6 in the frontal lobe (measured by ELISA) and increased severity of PTZ-induced seizures (shorter latency, longer duration and higher mortality). Our findings show that IL-6 plays a pro-convulsant role in the brain and suggest that the IL-6 system may be a novel target for the development of anticonvulsant drugs.
Kalueff
Allan V
AV
Medical School, University of Tampere, 33014, Finland. avkalueff@inbox.ru
Lehtimaki
Kai A
KA
Ylinen
Aarne
A
Honkaniemi
Jari
J
Peltola
Jukka
J
D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000818:Animals; D003292:Convulsants; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D003292:Convulsants; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010433:Pentylenetetrazole