Interleukin-10 modulates neuronal threshold of vulnerability to ischaemic damage

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a powerful suppressor of cellular immune response s, with a postulated role in brain inflammation. First, we have evaluated t he role of this cytokine in ischaemic brain damage using IL-10 knockout (IL -10(-/-)) mice. The middle cerebral artery (MCA) was occluded in either IL- 10(-/-) or wild-type animals of corresponding strain (C57Bl/6) and age. Inf arct volume was assessed 24 h later in serial brain sections. Brain infarct produced by MCA occlusion was 30% larger in the IL-10(-/-) than in wild-ty pe mice (21.8 +/- 1.2 vs. 16.9 +/- 1.0 mm(3), respectively; P < 0.01; Stude nt's t-test). To further characterize these findings, studies were extended to in vitro models. Primary neuronal cortical cultures derived from IL-10( -/-) animals were more susceptible to both excitotoxicity and combined oxyg en-glucose deprivation compared with cell cultures from wild-type mice. Mor eover, when added to the culture medium, recombinant murine IL-10 (0.1-100 ng/mL) exerted a concentration-dependent prevention of neuronal damage indu ced by excitotoxicity in both cortical and cerebellar granule cell cultures taken from either strain. The accordance of in vivo and in vitro data allo ws us to suggest a potential neuroprotective role of IL-10 against cerebral ischaemia when administered exogenously or made available from endogenous sources.