Chronic Lipopolysaccharide Administration Research Articles

Possible Prophylactic Effects of Sulforaphane on LPS-Induced Recognition Memory Impairment Mediated by Regulating Oxidative Stress and Neuroinflammatory Proteins in the Prefrontal Cortex Region of the Brain.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) presents a significant global health concern, characterized by neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. Neuroinflammation is a crucial factor in AD development and progression, yet effective pharmacotherapy remains elusive. Sulforaphane (SFN), derived from cruciferous vegetables and mainly from broccoli, has shown a promising effect via in vitro and in vivo studies as a potential treatment for AD. This study aims to investigate the possible prophylactic mechanisms of SFN against prefrontal cortex (PFC)-related recognition memory impairment induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration. Thirty-six Swiss (SWR/J) mice weighing 18-25 g were divided into three groups (n = 12 per group): a control group (vehicle), an LPS group (0.75 mg/kg of LPS), and an LPS + SFN group (25 mg/kg of SFN). The total duration of the study was 3 weeks, during which mice underwent treatments for the initial 2 weeks, with daily monitoring of body weight and temperature. Behavioral assessments via novel object recognition (NOR) and temporal order recognition (TOR) tasks were conducted in the final week of the study. Inflammatory markers (IL-6 and TNF), antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GSH, and CAT), and pro-oxidant (MDA) level, in addition to acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity and active (caspase-3) and phosphorylated (AMPK) levels, were evaluated. Further, PFC neuronal degeneration, Aβ content, and microglial activation were also examined using H&E, Congo red staining, and Iba1 immunohistochemistry, respectively. SFN pretreatment significantly improved recognition memory performance during the NOR and TOR tests. Moreover, SFN was protected from neuroinflammation and oxidative stress as well as neurodegeneration, Aβ accumulation, and microglial hyperactivity. The obtained results suggested that SFN has a potential protective property to mitigate the behavioral and biochemical impairments induced by chronic LPS administration and suggested to be via an AMPK/caspase-3-dependent manner.

Chronic Neuroinflammation Induced by Systemic Administration of Lipopolysaccharide Leads to Behavioral Impairments in Mice

Background: There is evidence that chronic neuroinflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. In this regard, animal models are considered important tools for the study of neuroinflammation associated with these diseases. The injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the most commonly used approach for inducing neuroinflammation in animal models. However, there are limited and inconsistent studies regarding the effect of the chronic administration of LPS on behavioral parameters. Accordingly, this experimental study aimed to compare the effect of the chronic injection of LPS in two different doses on behavioral alterations, including spatial learning and working memory in mice. Methods: Thirty-six male BALB/c mice were used in this study. After acclimatization for a week, mice were randomly divided into three groups. Control mice were intraperitoneally (IP) injected with saline for seven consecutive days, and mice of the second group received 250 μg/kg LPS (IP) dissolved in saline for a week. Finally, mice of the third group were administered 750 μg/kg LPS (IP) dissolved in saline for a week. Morris water maze (MWM) and Y-maze were performed to assess spatial learning and working memory alterations in treated mice, respectively. Results: It was found that LPS treatment with a high dose (750 μg/kg) results in working memory impairment (P=0.0024) and cognitive dysfunction (P=0.0030) based on Y-maze and MWM test results. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the LPS-induced model of chronic neuroinflammation can be used as an important tool for the investigation of the pathomechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders and the development of new pharmacotherapeutic options.

Increased Expression and Activity of Brain Cortical cPLA2 Due to Chronic Lipopolysaccharide Administration in Mouse Model of Familial Alzheimer's Disease.

Cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) is an enzyme regulating membrane phospholipid homeostasis and the release of arachidonic acid utilized in inflammatory responses. It represents an attractive target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previously, we showed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced systemic inflammation caused abnormal lipid metabolism in the brain of a transgenic AD mouse model (APdE9), which might be associated with potential changes in cPLA2 activity. Here, we investigated changes in cPLA2 expression and activity, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying these alterations due to chronic LPS administration in the cerebral cortex of female APdE9 mice as compared to saline- and LPS-treated female wild-type mice and saline-treated APdE9 mice. The study revealed the significant effects of genotype LPS treatment on cortical cPLA2 protein expression and activity in APdE9 mice. LPS treatment resulted in nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NFkB) activation in the cortex of APdE9 mice. The gene expressions of inflammation markers Il1b and Tnfa were significantly elevated in the cortex of both APdE9 groups compared to the wild-type groups. The study provides evidence of the elevated expression and activity of cPLA2 in the brain cortex of APdE9 mice after chronic LPS treatment, which could be associated with NFkB activation.

Peripheral inflammation promotes brain tau transmission via disrupting blood-brain barrier.

Abnormal aggregation of pathological tau protein is a neuropathological feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the AD patients, the abnormal tau accumulation first appeared in entorhinal cortex (EC) and then propagated to the hippocampus with microglia activation and inflammation, but the mechanism is elusive. Here, we studied the role and mechanisms underlying periphery inflammation on brain tau transmission. By intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with brain medial entorhinal cortex (MEC)-specific overexpressing P301L human tau (P301L-hTau), we found that both acute and chronic administration of LPS remarkably promoted P301L-hTau transmission from MEC to the hippocampal subsets. Interestingly, the chronic LPS-induced P301L-hTau transmission was still apparent after blocking microglia activation. Further studies demonstrated that LPS disrupted the integrity of blood–brain barrier (BBB) and simultaneous intraperitoneal administration of glucocorticoid (GC) attenuated LPS-promoted P301L-hTau transmission. These data together suggest that a non-microglia-dependent BBB disruption contributes to peripheral LPS-promoted brain P301L-hTau transmission, therefore, maintaining the integrity of BBB can be a novel strategy for preventing pathological tau propagation in AD and other tauopathies.

Major depression model induced by repeated and intermittent lipopolysaccharide administration: Long-lasting behavioral, neuroimmune and neuroprogressive alterations

Major depressed patients show increased bacterial translocation with elevated plasma levels of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which may trigger immune-inflammatory and neuro-oxidative responses. Recently, an animal model based on chronic LPS administration was developed which was associated with long-lasting depressive-like and neuro-oxidative alterations in female mice. The aim of the current study was to investigate behavioral, neuroimmune and neuroprogressive alterations in female mice 6 weeks after LPS chronic exposure. Female mice received increasing doses of LPS during 5 days at one-month intervals repeated for 4 consecutive months. Six weeks after the last LPS-exposure, we assessed behavioral despair and anhedonia, microglial activation, alterations in tryptophan, 5-HT, kynurenine, quinolinic acid (QUIN) levels and spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SAT1) expression in the hippocampus, both with and without fluoxetine administration. Our results show that six weeks post-LPS, mice present behavioral despair and anhedonia in association with increased IBA1 expression (a microglia activation marker), NF-kB p65 and IL-1β levels, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) mRNA expression, kynurenine, QUIN levels and QUIN/tryptophan ratio, and lowered tryptophan, 5-HT levels and SAT1 mRNA expression. Fluoxetine reversed the behavioral and neuroimmune alterations but had no effect in the reversal of IDO1 increased expression, QUIN levels and QUIN/tryptophan ratio. In conclusion, our results support the validity of the chronic LPS model of major depression and additionally shows its translational relevance with respect to neuroimmune and neuroprogressive pathways.

Chronic exposure to low doses of lipopolysaccharide and high-fat feeding increases body mass without affecting glucose tolerance in female rats.

Obesity-related inflammation may have a causal role in the development of diabetes and insulin resistance, and studies using animal models of chronic experimental endotoxemia have shown the link. However, many studies use only males, and much less is known about the role of obesity-related inflammation in females. Therefore, we addressed how experimentally induced chronic inflammation affects body mass, energy intake, and glucose metabolism in female rats. Adult female Sprague Dawley rats were instrumented with slow release pellets that delivered a constant daily dose of 53 or 207 μg of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) per rat for 60 days. Control rats were instrumented with vehicle pellets. Due to inflammatory nature of high-fat diet (HFD) half of the rats received HFD (60% of calories from lard), while the other half remained on control diet to detect possible interactions between two modes of induced inflammation. Our results showed that chronic LPS administration increased female rat body mass and calorie intake in a dose-dependent manner, and that HFD further exacerbated these effects. Despite these effects, no effects of LPS and HFD were evident on female rat glucose metabolism. Only LPS elevated expression of inflammatory markers in the hypothalamus. To conclude, female rats respond to experimentally induced chronic inflammation by increasing body mass, but do not develop glucose intolerance in the given period of time.

Bone Morphogenetic Protein Receptor Type II Deficiency and Increased Inflammatory Cytokine Production. A Gateway to Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Mutations in bone morphogenetic protein receptor type II (BMPR-II) underlie most cases of heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, disease penetrance is only 20-30%, suggesting a requirement for additional triggers. Inflammation is emerging as a key disease-related factor in PAH, but to date there is no clear mechanism linking BMPR-II deficiency and inflammation. To establish a direct link between BMPR-II deficiency, a consequentially heightened inflammatory response, and development of PAH. We used pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells from Bmpr2(+/-) mice and patients with BMPR2 mutations and compared them with wild-type controls. For the in vivo model, we used mice heterozygous for a null allele in Bmpr2 (Bmpr2(+/-)) and wild-type littermates. Acute exposure to LPS increased lung and circulating IL-6 and KC (IL-8 analog) levels in Bmpr2(+/-) mice to a greater extent than in wild-type controls. Similarly, pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells from Bmpr2(+/-) mice and patients with BMPR2 mutations produced higher levels of IL-6 and KC/IL-8 after lipopolysaccharide stimulation compared with controls. BMPR-II deficiency in mouse and human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells was associated with increased phospho-STAT3 and loss of extracellular superoxide dismutase. Chronic lipopolysaccharide administration caused pulmonary hypertension in Bmpr2(+/-) mice but not in wild-type littermates. Coadministration of tempol, a superoxide dismutase mimetic, ameliorated the exaggerated inflammatory response and prevented development of PAH. This study demonstrates that BMPR-II deficiency promotes an exaggerated inflammatory response in vitro and in vivo, which can instigate development of pulmonary hypertension.

Chronic lipopolysaccharide infusion fails to induce depressive-like behaviour in adult male rats.

Chronic inflammation is implicated in numerous diseases, including major depression and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Since depression and T2DM often co-exist, inflammatory pathways are suggested as a possible link. Hence, the establishment of an immune-mediated animal model would shed light on mechanisms possibly linking depression and metabolic alterations. In this study we investigated a behavioural and metabolic paradigm following chronic infusion with low doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) using osmotic minipumps in male rats. Behavioural testing consisted of evaluating activity level in the open field and depressive-like behaviour in the forced swim test. Metabolic assessment included measurement of body weight, food and water intake, and glucose and insulin levels during an oral glucose tolerance test. LPS-infused rats showed acute signs of sickness behaviour, but chronic LPS infusion did not induce behavioural or metabolic changes. These results suggest that although inflammation is immediately induced as indicated by acute sickness, 4 weeks of chronic LPS administration via osmotic minipumps did not result in behavioural changes. Therefore, this paradigm may not be a suitable model for studying the underlying mechanisms that link depression and T2DM.

The glial response in the rodent hippocampus to systemic administration of bacterial lipopolysaccharide

Interaction of astrocytes and microglia is an important factor of the development of neuroinflammation because impairment of the mechanisms of this neuroprotective interaction may underlie the progression of neuropathology. We studied the changes in cell populations of astro- and microglia in the rodent hippocampus after intraperitoneal injection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Chronic administration of LPS elevated the number of microglial cells in the hilus of the dentate gyrus of the mouse hippocampus, whereas a single injection of a cumulative dose of LPS (5 mg/kg) did not induce a similar response. In rats, a single injection of LPS decreased the number of astrocytes in the hilus of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. We believe that in the hippocampus, in the cerebral structure, which is selectively vulnerable to neuroinflammation, glial cells of the dentate hilus are most responsive under the conditions of neuroinflammation induced by systemic administration of LPS.

Effect of chronic intracerebroventricluar administration of lipopolysaccharide on connexin43 protein expression in rat hippocampus.

Hippocampal damages, which are accompanied by inflammation, are among the main causes of epilepsy acquisition. We previously reported that chronic intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) modulates epileptogenesis in rats. There is a network of gap junction channels in the hippocampus that contribute to epileptogenesis. Gap junction channels are formed by oligomeric protein subunits called connexins (Cx). Astrocytic Cx43 and neuronal Cx36 are expressed in the hippocampus. In order to find out the possible role of gap junctions in seizure-modulating effect of LPS and neuroinflammation, we studied the effect of central administration of LPS on expression of Cx36 and Cx43 in rat hippocampus. LPS, 2.5 mug/rat/day, was injected i.c.v. to male Wistar rats for 14 days. mRNA and protein abundance of Cx36, Cx43 and IL1-β were measured in rat hippocampus by real time-PCR, Western blot and ELISA techniques, at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the treatment period. IL1-β protein level was significantly increased 6 h after first injection of LPS. Cx36 and Cx43 mRNA expression did not alter during chronic administration of LPS. A selective decrease in Cx43 protein expression was observed after 7 injections of LPS. It is suggested that Cx43 containing gap junctions in the hippocampus is down-regulated in response to chronic injection of LPS. This event can inhibit propagation of toxic and noxious molecules to neighboring cells and modulate hippocampal excitability and epileptogenesis.

Impairment of long-term depression induced by chronic brain inflammation in rats

Although deficits in synaptic plasticity have been identified in aged or neuroinflamed animals with memory impairments, few studies have examined the cellular basis of plasticity in such animals. Here, we examined whether chronic neuroinflammation altered long-term depression (LTD) and studied the underlying mechanism of LTD impairment by neuroinflammation. Chronic neuroinflammation was induced by administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to the fourth ventricle. Excitatory postsynaptic potentials were recorded extracellularly in the rat hippocampal CA1 area to examine alterations in synaptic plasticity. Chronic administration of LPS induced remarkable memory impairment in the Morris water maze test. N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-dependent LTD was almost absent in LPS-infused animals. The AMPA receptor (AMPAR)-mediated synaptic response was reduced in the LPS-infused group. These results suggest that reduction in NMDAR-dependent LTD might arise because of alterations in postsynaptic AMPARs as well as NMDARs and that such changes may be present in mild and early forms of Alzheimer-type dementia.

Chronic brain inflammation impairs two forms of long-term potentiation in the rat hippocampal CA1 area

Neuroinflammation plays an important role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is characterized by the presence of activated microglia. We investigated whether chronic neuroinflammation affects the induction of N-methyl- d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) and NMDAR-independent LTP which is expressed by voltage-dependent calcium channel (VDCC). Chronic neuroinflammation was induced by administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (28 days, 0.35 μg/h) to the fourth ventricle. The Morris water maze test was conducted to measure the memory impairment and then excitatory postsynaptic potentials were recorded extracelluarly from stratum radiatum in the rat hippocampal CA1 area to examine the changes in synaptic plasticity induced by LPS infusion. Chronic administration of LPS induced remarkable memory impairment. The field recording experiments revealed that the induction of both NMDAR-dependent LTP and NMDAR-independent LTP were impaired in the hippocampal Schaffer collateral-CA1 synapse in animals chronically infused with LPS. The present results show that chronic neuroinflammation can lead to the impaired spatial memory and attenuation of VDCC-dependent LTP as well as NMDAR-dependent LTP. The attenuation of synaptic plasticity may be caused by the impairment of both NMDAR and L-type Ca 2+ via elevated levels of inflammatory proteins, which may underlie aspects of dementia.

Oxidative damage of rat liver induced by ligature-induced periodontitis and chronic ethanol consumption

Objective Oxidative stress plays a central role in the initiation and progression of liver disease. Chronic ethanol consumption induces oxidative damage of the liver. Using a rat model, we previously showed that chronic administration of lipopolysaccharide and proteases to gingival sulcus induced both periodontal inflammation and liver injury. Periodontitis and ethanol consumption may have an additional effect on hepatic oxidative damage. The present study investigated the effects of periodontitis on ethanol-induced oxidative damage of the liver using a rat model. Design Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups (six rats/group). During the experimental period of eight weeks, two groups were fed an ethanol-containing liquid diet, and two groups were on a pair-fed control diet. Four weeks prior to the end of the experimental period, one group from each dietary treatment was ligated to induce periodontitis, while the other group was left unligated. In order to evaluate hepatic oxidative damage, the level of hexanoyl-lysine and the ratio of reduced form glutathione/oxidized form glutathione (GSH/GSSG) was determined. The concentration of blood hexanoyl-lysine was also measured as an index of circulating lipid peroxide. Results Ligature-induced periodontitis increased plasma levels of hexanoyl-lysine. In the liver, periodontitis decreased the GSH/GSSG ratio, and the combination of periodontitis and ethanol consumption induced a significant increase in hexanoyl-lysine level compared to ethanol consumption alone. Conclusion In the rat model, ligature-induced periodontitis increased plasma lipid peroxide, decreased the hepatic GSH/GSSG ratio and augmented ethanol-induced lipid peroxidation in the liver.

Chronic Administration of Lipopolysaccharide and Proteases Induces Periodontal Inflammation and Hepatic Steatosis in Rats

Epidemiologic studies suggest a relationship between periodontitis and liver diseases. A rat periodontitis model was used to investigate whether a causal relationship exists between periodontitis and liver diseases. Fourteen male Wistar rats (8 weeks old) were divided into two groups: a periodontitis group in which Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Streptomyces griseus proteases were applied into the gingival sulcus for 8 weeks, and a control group using pyrogen-free water instead. After blood samples were collected, periodontal tissues and liver specimens were analyzed. Chronic administration of LPS and proteases to the gingival sulcus induced periodontitis and liver injury, including steatosis with inflammation and sinusoidal fibrosis. Apoptosis, enhanced concentration of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, and activated production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in liver were observed in the periodontitis group, with increased gingival inflammation, serum LPS, and reactive oxygen species. Periodontal inflammation in a rat model induced fatty liver disease through increased serum LPS.

Effects of inflammation produced by chronic lipopolysaccharide administration on the survival of hypocretin neurons and sleep

The number of hypocretin-containing neurons is markedly decreased in most patients with the sleep disorder narcolepsy. It is presently not known why the loss of hypocretin neurons occurs in these patients. In the present study, we tested the role of inflammation in the degeneration of hypocretin neurons. The proinflammagen lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was infused chronically for 30 days (flow rate=0.22 μg/h) into the lateral hypothalamus in rats. Compared with chronic infusions of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), LPS infusions produced a decline in the number of hypocretin (29.7% reduction), melanin concentrating hormone (MCH; 24.7% reduction), and neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN)-immunoreactive neurons, as well as a dense distribution of reactive astrocytes and microglia within the lateral hypothalamus. LPS infusions also produced a large increase in the amounts of wakefulness 6 days after the onset of infusion (72.5±8.7% of wakefulness during lights-on period compared with 45.3±1.8% in PBS-treated rats). Amounts of wakefulness returned to control levels in all LPS-treated rats 30 days after the onset of infusion. A single injection of LPS (1, 5, or 10 μg) did not produce a significant decline in the number of hypocretin, MCH, or NeuN-positive neurons. The loss of hypocretin neurons produced by chronic LPS administration suggests that inflammation may play a role in the loss of hypocretin neurons in narcolepsy.

Exacerbation of Motor Neuron Disease by Chronic Stimulation of Innate Immunity in a Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Innate immunity is a specific and organized immunological program engaged by peripheral organs and the CNS to maintain homeostasis after stress and injury. In neurodegenerative disorders, its putative deregulation, featured by inflammation and activation of glial cells resulting from inherited mutations or viral/bacterial infections, likely contributes to neuronal death. However, it remains unclear to what extent environmental factors and innate immunity cooperate to modulate the interactions between the neuronal and non-neuronal elements in the perturbed CNS. In the present study, we addressed the effects of acute and chronic administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a Gram-negative bacterial wall component, in a genetic model of neurodegeneration. Transgenic mice expressing a mutant form of the superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1(G37R)) linked to familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis were challenged intraperitoneally with a single nontoxic or repeated injections of LPS (1 mg/kg). At different ages, SOD1(G37R) mice responded normally to acute endotoxemia. Remarkably, only a chronic challenge with LPS in presymptomatic 6-month-old SOD1(G37R) mice exacerbated disease progression by 3 weeks and motor axon degeneration. Closely associated with the severity of disease is the stronger and restricted upregulation of the receptor of innate immunity Toll-like receptor 2 and proinflammatory cytokines in degenerating regions of the ventral spinal cord and efferent fiber tracts of the brain from the LPS-treated SOD1(G37R) mice. This robust immune response was not accompanied by the establishment of acquired immunity. Our results provide solid evidence that environmental factors and innate immunity can cooperate to influence the course of disease of an inherited neuropathology.

Effects of endotoxin lipopolysaccharide administration on the somatotropic axis

The aim of this work was to study the effect of chronic activation of the immune system on the somatotropic axis. Accordingly, the changes in growth hormone (GH) secretion, circulating insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) in response to endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration were examined in adult male Wistar rats. Acute LPS injection (2.5, 25 or 250 microg/kg) increased serum corticosterone in a dose-dependent manner and decreased serum levels of insulin and IGF-I, serum GH concentration declined linearly as the LPS dose increased. Western ligand blot showed an increase in the 33 kDa band (corresponding to IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-2) in the rats that received the highest dose of LPS (250 microg/kg). Chronic LPS administration (250 microg/kg daily for 8 days) significantly decreased body weight, serum levels of IGF-I and pituitary GH content, whereas it increased circulating IGFBP-3 (47 kDa band), IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-2 (33 kDa band) and the 24 kDa band (which possibly corresponds to IGFBP-4). Serum concentration of corticosterone and hypothalamic somatostatin content were also increased by chronic LPS treatment. These data suggest that the decrease in GH and IGF-I secretion and the increase in circulating IGFBPs are important mechanisms in body weight loss during chronic inflammation.

Cytokine-induced activation of the neuroendocrine stress axis persists in endotoxin-tolerant mice

Chronic administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mice markedly reduced activation of the neuroendocrine stress axis elicited by an acute challenge dose of LPS. LPS-induced elevation in norepinephrine turnover in the hypothalamus showed complete tolerance whereas elevation of plasma corticosterone showed only partial tolerance. Challenge-induced increased turnover of dopamine in hypothalamus persisted in LPS-tolerant animals. Neuroendocrine activation persisted following acute challenge with interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor following chronic LPS exposure.