Apolipoprotein E modulates glial activation and the endogenous central nervous system inflammatory response

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a 299 amino acid protein that is associated with risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and outcome after acute brain injury. To investigate the possibility that apoE modulates glial activation we studied the effect of endogenous apoE on inflammatory gene regulation i n vitro and in vivo. Our results indicate that apoE downregulates CNS produ ction of TNF alpha, Il-1 beta, and Il-6 mRNA following stimulation with lip opolysaccharide (LPS). This effect of endogenous apoE on inflammatory gene regulation appears to be specific, and may account for the biological role that apoE plays in acute and chronic human neurological disease. (C) 2001 E lsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.