Neuroinflammation markers and methyl alcohol induced toxic brain damage

• Published in: Toxicology letters 2018-12, Vol.298, p.60-69
• Main Authors: Zakharov, Sergey, Hlusicka, Jiri, Nurieva, Olga, Kotikova, Katerina, Lischkova, Lucie, Kacer, Petr, Kacerova, Tereza, Urban, Pavel, Vaneckova, Manuela, Seidl, Zdenek, Diblik, Pavel, Kuthan, Pavel, Heissigerova, Jarmila, Lesovsky, Jiri, Rulisek, Jan, Vojtova, Lucie, Hubacek, Jaroslav A., Navratil, Tomas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: CNS damage; Interleukins; Lipoxins; Methyl alcohol poisoning; Neuroinflammation; Non-traumatic brain injury
• ISSN: 0378-4274; 1879-3169
• DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2018.05.001

•Acute methyl alcohol intoxication leads to an inflammatory response in the brain.•Acute concentrations of IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, IL-10, IL-13, LxA4 and LxB4 were elevated.•The acute elevation did not persist suggesting against chronic neuroinflammation.•Association of the follow-up IL-5 concentration with abnormal optic nerve function.•Association of the follow-up IL-10 concentration with brain necrotic lesions. Methyl alcohol intoxication is a global problem with high mortality and long-term visual sequelae and severe brain damage in survivors. The role of neuroinflammation in the mechanisms of methyl alcohol-induced toxic brain damage has not been well studied. We measured the acute concentrations and dynamics of lipoxins LxA4 and LxB4 and the interleukins IL-4, IL-5, IL-9, IL-10, and IL-13 in the serum of patients treated with methyl alcohol poisoning and the follow-up concentrations in survivors two years after discharge from the hospital. A series of acute measurements was performed in 28 hospitalized patients (mean age 54.2 ± 5.2 years, mean observation time 88 ± 20 h) and the follow-up measurements were performed in 36 subjects who survived poisoning (including 12/28 survivors from the acute group). Visual evoked potentials (VEP) and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain (MRI) were performed to detect long-term visual and brain sequelae of intoxication. The acute concentrations of inflammatory mediators were higher than the follow-up concentrations: LxA4, 62.0 ± 6.0 vs. 30.0 ± 5.0 pg/mL; LxB4, 64.0 ± 7.0 vs. 34.0 ± 4.0 pg/mL; IL-4, 29.0 ± 4.0 vs. 15.0 ± 1.0 pg/mL; IL-5, 30.0 ± 4.0 vs. 13.0 ± 1.0 pg/mL; IL-9, 30.0 ± 4.0 vs. 13.0 ± 1.0 pg/mL; IL-10, 38.0 ± 5.0 vs. 16.0 ± 1.0 pg/mL; IL-13, 35.0 ± 4.0 vs. 14.0 ± 1.0 pg/mL (all p