Interleukin-18-Mediated Microglia/Astrocyte Interaction in the Spinal Cord Enhances Neuropathic Pain Processing after Nerve Injury

Abstract

Interleukin (IL)-

Involvement of microglia and interleukin-18 in the induction of long-term potentiation of spinal nociceptive responses induced by tetanic sciatic stimulation

“…Notably, we found increases in the expression of both IL-18 in microglia on day 3 and IL-18Rs on day 7 after TSS. This is consistent with previous reports that microglial IL-18 expression significantly increases on day 3 after excitotoxic damage and IL-18-mediated interaction between spinal microglia and astrocytes enhances neuropathic pain [21,26] . Therefore, it is conceivable that the [49,50] .…”

“…It has been reported that IL-18 mediates the interaction between microglia and astrocytes via binding to IL18Rs [21,26] , so the effects of minocycline on IL-18R expres- following TSS (Fig. 4A).…”

Quercetin suppresses NLRP3 inflammasome activation and attenuates histopathology in a rat model of spinal cord injury

“…34 Inhibition of IL-18 reduces nuclear factor-κB phosphorylation in spinal astrocytes and suppresses the induction of astroglial markers. 35 TNF-α can induce spinal cord motoneuron death 36 and exacerbate cell death after SCI. 37 Topical application of TNF-α antiserum can alleviate edema, microvascular permeability and cell injury in rat SCI.…”

Glial Modulation of Pain: A Step Beyond: Figure 1.

“…Although the answers to these questions are unknown, the different time courses suggest a hierarchical activation of glial cells. In this context, Miyoshi et al (2008) showed that the TH-1-stimulating cytokine IL-18 is an important communicator between activation of microglia and astrocytes in the spinal cord during neuropathic pain, and this cytokine might mediate sequential activation.…”

“…Therefore, one simple experiment that (Miyoshi et al, 2008). IL-18 seems to mediate the interaction between activated microglia and astrocytes.…”