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Absence of interleukin-1 receptor 1 increases excitatory and inhibitory scaffolding protein expression and microglial activation in the adult mouse hippocampus

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 12, pages 645–647 (2015)Cite this article

In the present study, we demonstrate that adult mice lacking interleukin-1 receptor 1 (IL-1R1) exhibit increased expression of both the excitatory scaffolding protein postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95) and inhibitory scaffolding proteingephyrin, respectively, in the hippocampus. The morphology of hippocampal microglia is also altered towards a more activated phenotype. These results indicate an important role for IL-1 signaling in maintaining physiological conditions in both neurons and microglia.

The pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1 is upregulated by a variety of immune challenges and is a potent activator of the immune system in a pathological environment. One of the major producers of IL-1 in the brain is microglia. Microglia are highly motile glial cells with a function in the surveillance of brain integrity. The activation of microglia in response to a pathological insult or to changes in homeostatic processes results in the release of several immune modulators, such as IL-1, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor, which orchestrate an immune response.1 However, less is known about how cytokines, such as IL-1, may modulate microglial responses during physiological conditions.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council and an ALF Grant for funding of medical training and research.

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Author notes

  1. Katie Chapman

    Present address: Current address: Division of Neurology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

  2. Johanna Jackson

    Present address: Current address: Lilly UK, Windlesham, Surrey, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Clinical Neurophysiology, Inflammation and Stem Cell Therapy Group, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Una Avdic, Deepti Chugh, Harer Osman, Johanna Jackson & Christine T Ekdahl

  2. Lund Epilepsy Center, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Una Avdic, Deepti Chugh & Christine T Ekdahl

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  1. Una Avdic
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Correspondence to Christine T Ekdahl.

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Avdic, U., Chugh, D., Osman, H. et al. Absence of interleukin-1 receptor 1 increases excitatory and inhibitory scaffolding protein expression and microglial activation in the adult mouse hippocampus. Cell Mol Immunol 12, 645–647 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2014.87

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