SCREENING OF INTERLEUKINS FOR SURVIVAL-PROMOTING EFFECTS ON CULTURED MESENCEPHALIC DOPAMINERGIC-NEURONS FROM EMBRYONIC RAT-BRAIN

In order to evaluate the neurotrophic potential that interleukins may have for nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons, we have applied the inter leukins 1 alpha, 1 beta, and 2 through 12 to cultures of E14 rat midbr ain floor cells enriched for dopaminergic neurons. IL-6 and -7 were th e only interleukins that modestly (130%, as compared to controls, 100% ) promoted survival of dopaminergic neurons visualized by their immuno reactivity for tyrosine hydroxylase over an 8-day culture period. The effect was not mediated by astroglial cells. We conclude that most int erleukins per se may not act as neurotrophic factors for dopaminergic neurons, although several of them occur in the embryonic and adult CNS .