α-melanocyte stimulating hormone suppresses intracerebral tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β gene expression following transient cerebral ischemia in mice

doi:10.1016/S0304-3940(02)01088-1

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 334, Issue 3, 16 December 2002, Pages 186-190

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3940(02)01088-1 Get rights and content

Abstract

Following stroke, an intracerebral inflammatory response develops that may contribute to postischemic central nervous system injury. This study's objective was to determine whether the anti-inflammatory neuropeptide α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) can suppress postischemic activation of intracerebral tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) gene expression. Ipsilateral TNF-α levels were increased in cerebrocortical territory of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) following transient unilateral MCA occlusion (MCAO) and reperfusion in mice, and systemic α-MSH treatment (0.5 mg/kg i.p.) suppressed this increase. Systemic α-MSH treatment also inhibited the marked increases in cortical TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA levels following MCAO, and reduced the intracerebral TNF-α protein levels seen after transient global ischemia. We conclude that α-MSH treatment suppresses intracerebral proinflammatory cytokine gene expression following transient cerebral ischemia, suggesting that systemically administered melanocortins may exert neuroprotective effects in cerebral ischemia.

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Acknowledgements

Supported by NIH MH44694 and a New England Medical Center Research Grant.

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α-melanocyte stimulating hormone suppresses intracerebral tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β gene expression following transient cerebral ischemia in mice

Abstract

Section snippets

Acknowledgements

Trends Neurosci.

Neuroscience

Brain Res.

J. Neuroimmunol.

Brain Res.

α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone reduces endotoxin-induced liver inflammation

J. Clin. Invest.

α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone protects against renal injury after ischemia in mice and rats

J. Clin. Invest.

Potential of anticytokine therapies in central nervous system ischaemia

Expert Opin. Biol. Ther.

Role of melanocortinergic neurons in feeding and the agouti obesity syndrome

Nature