Chunk #17 — 5. Inflammasome is a key mediator of stress, depression and comorbid illnesses — 5.4. Inflammatory cytokines cause depressive behaviors: possible mechanisms
Systemic administration of TNFα also decreases social exploration and causes weight loss (Bluthe et al., 1994; Simen et al., 2006), and central TNFα causes a reduction in social interaction, increased despair behavior, decreased food intake, and a loss of body weight (Bluthe et al., 1994; Palin et al., 2009; Plata-Salaman et al., 1988). The TNFα-induced behavioral alterations may be mediated by endogenous release of IL-1, because pretreatment with an IL-1 receptor inhibitor antagonizes the depressive behaviors caused by TNFα (Bluthe et al., 1994). Central administration of IL-6 decreases wheel-running behavior in rats (Harden et al., 2008), activates the HPA axis, and causes fever (Lenczowski et al., 1999). Infusion of IL-6 into the amygdala or the hippocampus increases immobility in the FST (Wu and Lin, 2008).
