Peripheral viral challenge increases c-fos level in cerebral neurons

Peripheral viral infection can substantially alter brain function. We have previously shown that intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of a viral mimetic, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (PIC), engenders hyperexcitability of cerebral neurons. Because neuronal activity is invariably associated with their...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Metabolic brain disease 2021-10, Vol.36 (7), p.1995-2002
Main Authors: Petrisko, Tiffany J., Konat, Gregory W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accumulation
Acids
Animals
Biochemistry
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Brain diseases
c-Fos protein
Cerebral Cortex - metabolism
Chemokine receptors
Chemokines
Cortex (motor)
CXCL10 protein
CXCR3 protein
Cytokines
Female
Fos protein
Gene expression
Immunohistochemistry
Laboratory animals
Medical research
Metabolic Diseases
Metabolism
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Microscopy
Molecular modelling
Neurology
Neurons
Neurons - metabolism
Neurosciences
Oncology
Original Article
Poly I-C - pharmacology
Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid
Proteins
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos - metabolism
Receptors, Chemokine - metabolism
Viral infections
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Peripheral viral infection can substantially alter brain function. We have previously shown that intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of a viral mimetic, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (PIC), engenders hyperexcitability of cerebral neurons. Because neuronal activity is invariably associated with their expression of the Cfos gene, the present study was undertaken to determine whether PIC challenge also increases neuronal c-fos protein level. Female C57BL/6 mice were i.p. injected with PIC, and neuronal c-fos was analyzed in the motor cortex by immunohistochemistry. PIC challenge instigated a robust increase in the number of c-fos-positive neurons. This increase reached approximately tenfold over control at 24 h. Also, the c-fos staining intensity of individual neurons increased. AMG-487, a specific inhibitor of the chemokine receptor CXCR3, profoundly attenuated the accumulation of neuronal c-fos, indicating the activation of CXCL10/CXCR3 axis as the trigger of the process. Together, these results show that the accumulation of c-fos is a viable readout to assess the response of cerebral neurons to peripheral PIC challenge, and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms.
ISSN:0885-7490
1573-7365
DOI:10.1007/s11011-021-00819-z