EARLY INCREASES IN TNF-ALPHA, IL-6 AND IL-1-BETA LEVELS FOLLOWING TRANSIENT CEREBRAL-ISCHEMIA IN GERBIL BRAIN

The effects of transient global ischemia using bilateral carotid arter y occlusion on regional cytokine levels in gerbil brain were investiga ted using enzyme-linked immunoassay techniques. Brain concentrations o f interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), and tumor necr osis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were increased during the early recircul ation period (<6 h) after 10 min of ischemia, with lesser degrees of e levation following only 5 min of ischemia. TNF-alpha levels in the hip pocampus and striatum were significantly increased as early as 1 h aft er recirculation, declining sharply to control levels by 12 h, then tr ansiently increasing at 24 h. Elevated levels of IL-1 beta and IL-6 we re not seen until 3-6 h post-occlusion. No significant increases in cy tokine concentrations were observed in the cerebellum or thalamus. The se results suggest that regionally selective increases in cytokines ma y be involved in the pathophysiological changes in hippocampus and str iatum following transient cerebral ischemia.