| First Author | Kuwahara-Otani S | Year | 2017 |
| Journal | Neurosci Lett | Volume | 650 |
| Pages | 33-37 | PubMed ID | 28373090 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:252253 | Mgi Id | MGI:5925049 |
| Doi | 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.03.051 | Citation | Kuwahara-Otani S, et al. (2017) Interleukin-18 and its receptor are expressed in gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons of mouse and rat forebrain. Neurosci Lett 650:33-37 |
| abstractText | Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine and an important mediator of peripheral inflammation and host immune response. IL-18 functions through its binding with the IL-18 receptor (IL-18R), which consists of two chains, an IL-18-binding alpha chain (IL-18Ralpha) and a signaling beta chain. IL-18 and IL-18R are expressed in the brain; however, limited information is available on IL-18R expression and the role of IL-18 in neurosecretory cells. In the present study, we used immunohistochemical techniques to investigate the distribution of IL-18Ralpha and IL-18 in the hypothalamus of male mice and rats. IL-18Ralpha-positive and IL-18-positive perikarya and fibers were found scattered throughout the medial septal nucleus, the nuclei of the vertical and horizontal limbs of the diagonal band, the organum vasculosum of the laminae terminalis, the preoptic area, and the anterior hypothalamic area. It is well known that gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neuronal somata and/or fibers are found in these regions. Therefore, we performed double-label immunofluorescence for IL-18Ralpha/IL-18 and GnRH. IL-18Ralpha was expressed in approximately 60% of GnRH-immunopositive perikarya, and IL-18 was distributed in all GnRH-immunopositive perikarya. These observations suggest that IL-18 exerts direct effects upon the GnRH neuron via IL-18Ralpha and acts on GnRH neurons through an autocrine or paracrine pathway. |
