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Cytokine-dependent bidirectional connection between impaired social behavior and susceptibility to seizures associated with maternal immune activation in mice.
- Source :
-
Epilepsy & Behavior . Sep2015, Vol. 50, p40-45. 6p. - Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- Maternal immune activation (MIA) results in the development of autism in the offspring via hyperactivation of IL-6 signaling. Furthermore, experimental studies showed that the MIA-associated activation of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) concurrently with IL-6 increases the rate and the severity of hippocampal kindling in mice, thus, offering an explanation for autism–epilepsy comorbidity. We examined whether epileptic phenotype triggered by prenatal exposure to IL-6 and IL-1β combination is restricted to kindling or whether it is reproducible in another model of epilepsy, whereby spontaneous seizures develop following kainic acid (KA)-induced status epilepticus. We also examined whether in mice prenatally exposed to IL-6 and IL-6 + IL-1β, the presence of spontaneous seizures would exacerbate autism-like features. Between days 12 and 16 of pregnancy, C57BL/6J mice received daily injections of IL-6, IL-1β, or IL-6 + IL-1β combination. At postnatal day 40, male offspring were examined for the presence of social behavioral deficit, and status epilepticus was induced by intrahippocampal KA injection. After 6 weeks of monitoring for spontaneous seizures, sociability was tested again. Both IL-6 and IL-6 + IL-1β offspring presented with social behavioral deficit. Prenatal exposure to IL-6 alleviated, while such exposure to IL-6 + IL-1β exacerbated, the severity of KA-induced epilepsy. Increased severity of epilepsy in the IL-6 + IL-1β mice correlated with the improvement of autism-like behavior. We conclude that complex and not necessarily agonistic relationships exist between epileptic and autism-like phenotypes in an animal model of MIA coupled with KA-induced epilepsy and that the nature of these relationships depends on components of MIA involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 15255050
- Volume :
- 50
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Epilepsy & Behavior
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 109320754
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.05.040