title: Role of hippocampal TLR4 in neurotoxicity in mice following toluene exposure.
abstract: The present study was designed to investigate the possible involvement of TLR4 pathway in the mouse hippocampus following toluene exposure. Male C3H/HeN and C3H/HeJ (TLR4 defective) mice were exposed to 0, 5, 50 or 500 ppm of toluene for 6 weeks. The expressions of TLR4-related signal transduction pathway mRNAs in the hippocampi were examined using real-time RT-PCR and an immunohistochemical analysis. In C3H/HeN mice, the relative mRNA expression levels of TLR4 and NF-κB activating protein were significantly up-regulated in the groups exposed to toluene, but not in the C3H/HeJ mice. Heat shock protein 70, a possible endogenous ligand for TLR4, mRNA was increased in the C3H/HeN mice exposed to toluene. This is the first report to show that TLR4 may have a role in the neurotoxic effects in mice exposed to toluene.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan.
authors.forename: Tin-Tin
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Win-Shwe
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kunugita
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Hidekazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fujimaki
mesh_terms: D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000818:Animals; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012997:Solvents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014050:Toluene / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D012997:Solvents; C493487:Tlr4 protein, mouse; D051197:Toll-Like Receptor 4; D014050:Toluene; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid