INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA, BUT NOT INTERLEUKIN-6, IMPAIRS SPATIAL NAVIGATIONLEARNING

The effects of the cytokines interleukin-1 and -6 (IL1beta, IL6; 100 n g) on spatial learning were examined in the Morris water maze. Intrace rebroventricular injection of IL1 or IL6 before the training on day 1 did not, influence the acquisition of spatial navigation. However, IL1 administered at 60 min, but not immediately before the training, resu lted in impaired performance of spatial navigation the following day. In contrast, IL6 administered at both times had no effect. In a second experiment the same doses of IL1 and IL6 increased the body temperatu re of rats in a time-related fashion. The temperature effect of IL1 de veloped after a delay of 120 min, while the IL6-effect was immediate. Comparable behavioral changes might accompany infections or inflammato ry diseases and therapeutic cytokine administration.