Chunk #16 — 5. Inflammasome is a key mediator of stress, depression and comorbid illnesses — 5.4. Inflammatory cytokines cause depressive behaviors: possible mechanisms
The sickness behavior resulting from IL-1β exposure includes depressive symptoms such as suppression of locomotor activity, social exploration, motivation, and feeding, as well as anhedonia, a core symptom of depression (Anisman et al., 1998; Bluthe et al., 1996; Bonaccorso et al., 2003; Crestani et al., 1991; Hellerstein et al., 1989; Kent et al., 1992; Lacosta et al., 1998; Linthorst and Reul, 1998; McCarthy et al., 1986; Wilhelm et al., 2012). IL- 1β also induces anxiogenic behavior in the open field test and the elevated plus maze, and impaired spatial memory in the Morris water maze (Song et al., 2006). Administration of an IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) antagonist reduces fear conditioning and learned helpless behavior in an inescapable stress/helplessness paradigm (Konsman et al., 2008; Maier and Watkins, 1995), and IL-1R deletion mutant mice have reduced anxiety compared to wild type controls (Koo et al., 2010).
