Background: Increased interleukin-1beta (IL-1) in the brain and periphery has been associated with neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. However, results from different IL-1 sources, administrating routes, doses and treatment duration were inconsistent and confused. The neuroendocrine-immune mechanism by which IL-1-induced behavioral changes occur is still unclear.
Methods: In the present study, the acute and sub-chronic effects of rat recombinant IL-1, following either intraperitoneal (ip) or intracerebroventricular (icv) injection, were studied on the behavior, corticosterone secretion, peripheral inflammatory responses and brain monoamines.
Results: In the open field apparatus, IL-1 (ip) increased locomotor activity but decreased the activity following icv administration. IL-1 had a greater anxiogenic effect in the elevated plus maze after icv than after ip administration. In the Morris water maze spatial memory was only impaired following sub-chronic and icv administration. Both acute and sub-chronic IL-1 increased the serum corticosterone concentration and decreased the release of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 from whole blood cultures. However, centrally administered IL-1 increased, while peripherally administered decreased, the release of PGE2 from blood cultures. After sub-chronic administration, the noradrenaline concentration was decreased in several limbic regions, while the turnovers of serotonin and dopamine were increased.
Discussion: These results suggest that 1) IL-1 effects depended on the dose, route and duration of administration, and 2) IL-1 enhances the responsiveness of rats to stressful environmental stimuli. In addition, the sub-chronic administration of IL-1 induces behavioral, neurotransmitter, hormonal and immune changes that may be causally implicated in the mechanism of some of psychiatric disorders such as depression.