REDUCED LONG-TERM POTENTIATION IN THE DENTATE GYRUS OF TRANSGENIC MICE WITH CEREBRAL OVEREXPRESSION OF INTERLEUKIN-6

The cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) may be a contributing mediator of CN S injury in several neurological disorders. To investigate the role of IL-6 in memory-related disorders, we examined transgenic mice (GFAP-I L6) with cerebral overexpression of IL-6 using paired-pulse facilitati on, paired-pulse inhibition, and-long-term potentiation (LTP) in an in vitro preparation. We found that paired-pulse potentiation and inhibi tion in the dentate gyrus of hippocampal slices prepared from the GFAP -IL6 mice did not differ significantly from age-matched control animal s, suggesting that the increase in paired-pulse inhibition seen previo usly in in vivo studies of this model was due to alterations of affere nts from other brain regions. However, LTP in the dentate was signific antly reduced in slices from GFAP-IL6 transgenic mice when compared wi th littermate wild-type controls, providing support for a role of IL-6 in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative associated memory-related di sorders.