Methamphetamine-induced Neuroinflammation and Neurotoxicity:a Role for Interleukin-1β
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Abstract
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Rochester. School of Medicine & Dentistry. Dept. of Neurobiology and Anatomy, 2012.Methamphetamine (MA) is a potent, addictive psychostimulant abused by
millions of people worldwide. MA exposure induces neurotoxicity, particularly in the
striatum, where it damages dopaminergic terminals. In parallel with this neurotoxicity,
MA also induces neuroinflammation, characterized by activation of striatal microglia and
astrocytes, leading to production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen
species. It is unclear whether MA-induced neuroinflammation contributes to MAinduced
neurotoxicity. To address this issue, we examined the time course and dose
response of MA-induced neurotoxicity and neuroinflammation to search for time- and
dose-specific links between the two, using a binge dosing paradigm of four injections
given every two hours to mimic human use patterns; we also focused on the specific
contributions of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and the
inflammation-associated oxidative enzyme NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2). We found that
treatment with at least 4 mg/kg MA per injection decreased striatal dopamine, tyrosine
hydroxylase, and dopamine transporter levels within one day, and that these decreases
persisted for at least one week. Striatal microglia and astrocytes were both activated one
day after binge MA treatment of all doses, including those that did not induce measurable
neurotoxicity; while astrocyte activation persisted, microglial activation attenuated during
the two weeks of the study. Despite this gliosis, we did not find altered mRNA
expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 6, or
chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 in the striatum. IL-1β knock-out (KO) mice were
resistant to MA-induced neurotoxicity, and local overexpression of IL-1β exacerbated
MA-induced neurotoxicity. However, we were unable to find an increase in striatal IL-
1β expression in the hours and days following MA exposure, suggesting that MAinduced
IL-1β upregulation and signaling may primarily occur elsewhere, or may be too
subtle or rapid for us to detect. Finally, although MA exposure increased NOX2 mRNA
expression in the striatum, NOX2 KO mice were not protected against MA-induced
neurotoxicity or glial activation. These findings give insight into the complex
relationship between MA-induced neuroinflammation and neurotoxicity