title: Immune-induced fever is mediated by IL-6 receptors on brain endothelial cells coupled to STAT3-dependent induction of brain endothelial prostaglandin synthesis.
abstract: The cytokine IL-6, which is released upon peripheral immune challenge, is critical for the febrile response, but the mechanism by which IL-6 is pyrogenic has remained obscure. Here we generated mice with deletion of the membrane bound IL-6 receptor α (IL-6Rα) on neural cells, on peripheral nerves, on fine sensory afferent fibers, and on brain endothelial cells, respectively, and examined its role for the febrile response to peripherally injected lipopolysaccharide. We show that IL-6Rα on neural cells, peripheral nerves, and fine sensory afferents are dispensable for the lipopolysaccharide-induced fever, whereas IL-6Rα in the brain endothelium plays an important role. Hence deletion of IL-6Rα on brain endothelial cells strongly attenuated the febrile response, and also led to reduced induction of the prostaglandin synthesizing enzyme Cox-2 in the hypothalamus, the temperature-regulating center in the brain, as well as reduced expression of SOCS3, suggesting involvement of the STAT signaling pathway. Furthermore, deletion of STAT3 in the brain endothelium also resulted in attenuated fever. These data show that IL-6, when endogenously released during systemic inflammation, is pyrogenic by binding to IL-6Rα on brain endothelial cells to induce prostaglandin synthesis in these cells, probably in concerted action with other peripherally released cytokines.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cell Biology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, S-581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eskilsson
authors.affiliation: Division of Cell Biology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, S-581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elahe
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mirrasekhian
authors.affiliation: Institut Curie/CNRS UMR144, 75248 Paris, France, and.
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dufour
authors.affiliation: Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lübeck, 23538 Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4510-9718
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwaninger
authors.affiliation: Division of Cell Biology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, S-581 85 Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Engblom
authors.affiliation: Division of Cell Biology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, S-581 85 Linköping, Sweden, anders.blomqvist@liu.se.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blomqvist
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D053698:Interleukin-6 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000172:deficiency*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000172:deficiency*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D053698:Interleukin-6 Receptor alpha Subunit; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011453:Prostaglandins; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494087:Stat3 protein, mouse; C577686:interleukin-6, mouse
keywords: STAT3; blood–brain barrier; cell-specific gene deletions; fever; interleukin-6; prostaglandins