Increased Sensitivity of Prediabetic Nonobese Diabetic Mouse to the Behavioral Effects of IL-1

• Published in: Brain, behavior, and immunity behavior, and immunity, 1999-12, Vol.13 (4), p.303-314
• Main Authors: Bluthé, Rose-Marie, Jafarian-Tehrani, Mehrnaz, Michaud, Bruno, Haour, France, Dantzer, Robert, Homo-Delarche, Francoise
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; behavior; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Body Weight - drug effects; Brain Chemistry - drug effects; brain IL-1 receptors; Endotoxins - pharmacology; Escherichia coli; Exploratory Behavior - drug effects; infection; interleukin 1 receptors; interleukin-1 (IL-1); Interleukin-1 - pharmacology; Key words: NOD mouse; Life Sciences; Lipopolysaccharides - pharmacology; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Mice, Inbred NOD; Motor Activity - drug effects; Prediabetic State - genetics; Prediabetic State - psychology; Receptors, Interleukin-1 - metabolism; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology; Social Behavior; stress
• ISSN: 0889-1591; 1090-2139
• DOI: 10.1006/brbi.1998.0542

The nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse is a model of spontaneous insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or type I diabetes. In humans, and in animal models of IDDM, the progression of the disease is modulated by various environmental factors, particularly infectious agents. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) plays a pivotal role in the development of IDDM, and modulation of its synthesis may be a mechanism by which environmental modulation of disease progression occurs. Since various alterations at the level of the gene, number, and sensitivity of IL-1 receptors have been described in different animal models of autoimmune disease, we investigated, in the prediabetic NOD mouse, the presence of IL-1 receptors and their functional behavioral characteristics. Here we present evidence that prediabetic NOD mice exhibit a normal distribution and density of functional brain IL-1 receptors, but are more sensitive to the behavioral effects of IL-1 than the control ICR strain.