Behavioural and neurobiological consequences of macrophage migration inhibitory factor gene deletion in mice.

Summary, in English

Evidence from clinical studies and animal models show that inflammation can lead to the development of depression. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is an important multifunctional cytokine that is synthesized by several cell types in the brain. MIF can increase production of other cytokines, activates cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and can counter-regulate anti-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids. Increased plasma levels of MIF are associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation and depressive symptoms in patients. In contrast, MIF knockout (KO) mice have been found to exhibit increased depressive-like behaviour. The exact role for MIF in depression is therefore still controversial. To further understand the role of MIF in depression, we studied depressive-like behaviour in congenic male and female MIF KO mice and wild-type (WT) littermates and the associated neurobiological mechanisms underlying the behavioural outcome.

• Author: Cecilie Bay-Richter; Shorena Janelidze; Analise Sauro; Richard Bucala; Jack Lipton; Tomas Deierborg; Lena Brundin
• Department/s: Clinical Memory Research; Neuroinflammation; MultiPark: Multidisciplinary research focused on Parkinson´s disease
• Publishing year: 2015
• Language: English
• Publication/Series: Journal of Neuroinflammation
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 1
• Full text: - 2 MB; Download statistics
• Links: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26338025?dopt=Abstract; http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12974-015-0387-4
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: BioMed Central (BMC)
• Topic: Neurosciences
• Status: Published
• Research group: Clinical Memory Research; Neuroinflammation
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1742-2094