Astrocyte response to IFN-γ limits IL-6-mediated microglia activation and progressive autoimmune encephalomyelitis
- PMID: 25896970
- PMCID: PMC4410573
- DOI: 10.1186/s12974-015-0293-9
Astrocyte response to IFN-γ limits IL-6-mediated microglia activation and progressive autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Abstract
Background: Therapeutic modalities effective in patients with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) are limited. In a murine model of progressive MS, the sustained disability during the chronic phase of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) correlated with elevated expression of interleukin (IL)-6, a cytokine with pleiotropic functions and therapeutic target for non-central nervous system (CNS) autoimmune disease. Sustained IL-6 expression in astrocytes restricted to areas of demyelination suggested that IL-6 plays a major role in disease progression during chronic EAE.
Methods: A progressive form of EAE was induced using transgenic mice expressing a dominant negative interferon-γ (IFN-γ) receptor alpha chain under control of human glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter (GFAPγR1Δ mice). The role of IL-6 in regulating progressive CNS autoimmunity was assessed by treating GFAPγR1Δ mice with anti-IL-6 neutralizing antibody during chronic EAE.
Results: IL-6 neutralization restricted disease progression and decreased disability, myelin loss, and axonal damage without affecting astrogliosis. IL-6 blockade reduced CNS inflammation by limiting inflammatory cell proliferation; however, the relative frequencies of CNS leukocyte infiltrates, including the Th1, Th17, and Treg CD4 T cell subsets, were not altered. IL-6 blockade rather limited the activation and proliferation of microglia, which correlated with higher expression of Galectin-1, a regulator of microglia activation expressed by astrocytes.
Conclusions: These data demonstrate that astrocyte-derived IL-6 is a key mediator of progressive disease and support IL-6 blockade as a viable intervention strategy to combat progressive MS.
Figures
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