مجله دانشکده پزشکی اصفهان (Dec 2015)
Effect of Lipopolysaccharide in Inflammation of the Brain and Induction of Alzheimer's Disease in Male Wistar Rat
Abstract
Background: Alzheimer's disease is a disease of the nerve cells that is associated with neurodegeneration; including the weakening of nerve cells, as the cells show inflammatory activities. In this research, the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in inflammation in the rat hippocampus, as well as its effect on cell death were studied. Methods: The effects of intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide in the development of inflammation in the nerve cells in the hippocampus of Wistar rats with the weight of 230-250 g was assessed via measuring the levels of inflammatory factors [interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)] using Western blot analysis. The study of cell death was done using Hematoxylin and Eosin staining (H&E) in a time-dependent manner at 12, 24, 48, 72 and 120 hours after the injection. Findings: The amounts of inflammatory proteins, IL-1β and TNF-α, increased time-dependently as compared to the control group. The stained tissue confirmed the cell death. All the results were significant at the level of P < 0.001. Conclusion: Lipopolysaccharide causes inflammation and neuronal cell death in the hippocampus in the brain of male Wistar rats; which is a time-dependent apoptosis in these cells and induces development of Alzheimer's process, then.