Interleukin-1 beta exacerbates hypoxia-induced neuronal damage, but attenuates toxicity produced by simulated ischaemia and excitotoxicity in rat organotypic hippocampal slice cultures

Using organotypic hippocampal slice cultures we have investigated the actio ns of Interleukin-1 (IL-1) in a number of injury paradigms. Low concentrati ons of IL-1 potentiated hypoxia-induced neurodegeneration whilst high conce ntrations had no effect. In contrast, higher concentrations of IL-1 were st rongly neuroprotective in models of combined oxygen/glucose deprivation and Nmethyl-D-aspartate toxicity, but no potentiation was observed at low IL-1 concentrations. Both protective and toxic effects of IL-1 were fully antag onized by IL-1 receptor antagonist. These data demonstrate that the effects of IL-1 on neutronal injury are complex, and may be directly related to th e injury paradigm studied. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All right s reserved.