INTERLEUKIN-1 RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST INHIBITS TRANSIENT INCREASE OF PLASMA-CORTICOSTERONE IN THE INITIAL PHASE OF TRIMETHYLTIN-INDUCED HIPPOCAMPAL NECROSIS

The temporal increase of plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels at 3 or 4 days alter a single oral administration of trimethyltin (TMT) was sup pressed by intracerebroventricular administration of the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra). On the other hand, glutamate receptor a ntagonist (MK801) did not affect the TMT-induced CORT level increase. These results indicate that this transient activation of the hypothala mo-pituitary-adrenocortical axis in TMT-treated rats may be in part at tributable to the neuroendocrine effects of IL-1 produced by microglia . (C) 1998 Intox Press, Inc.