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Inducible cytokine gene expression in the brain in the ME7/CV mouse model of scrapie is highly restricted, is at a strikingly low level relative to the degree of gliosis and occurs only late in disease

Alun Williams^2,

¹ Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Edinburgh, Summerhall, Edinburgh EH9 1QH, UK
² Institute of Comparative Medicine, Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

Correspondence
John Fazakerley
John.Fazakerley{at}ed.ac.uk

The temporal course of cerebral cytokine gene expression was investigated in the ME7/CV murine scrapie model to determine any association with neuropathological events. Analysis by RNase protection assay (RPA) demonstrated no transcripts for ILs 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12p40 and 13, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, IFN- or lymphotoxin- at any time during the course of this disease. Transcripts for transforming growth factor-1 were constitutively expressed in both control and scrapie-infected brain and were elevated at terminal disease. RPA and quantitative real-time RT-PCR detected low levels of transcripts for IL-1, IL-1 and TNF in scrapie-infected brain but only IL-1 was elevated consistently in all mice studied. Although glial cell activation within the hippocampus was evident from 100 days post-infection (p.i.), elevated IL-1 transcripts (and immunoreactivity) were evident from 180 days p.i., around the time of hippocampal pyramidal neuron loss, and increased steadily thereafter to reach a 3·5-fold increase at terminal disease. Even at their maximum, levels of these transcripts were disproportionately low relative to the degree of glial cell activation. It is concluded that cytokine gene expression in the ME7 scrapie-infected mouse brain, relative to the degree of reactive gliosis, is highly restricted, temporally late and disproportionately low.

Present address: Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, UK.

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