Effects of Diazepam Treatment on Neuroinflammation at Hippocampus in a Chronic Model of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis.

MARIA CAROLINA FABIO; MARIA INÉS ZALOSNIK FIGUEROA; GERMAN ALFREDO ROTH; ALICIA LAURA DEGANO

Cordoba

Congreso; XXXIII Congress of the Argentine Society for Research in Neuroscience; 2018

Argentine Society for Research in Neurosciences

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is aninflammatory demyelinating disease that mimics many ofthe clinical and pathological features of multiple sclerosis.Recently, we found that 2 mg/kg of chronic diazepam (Dz)treatment reversed motor signs of the disease and attenuates mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines at hippocampus. In the present study, we aimed to analyze themRNA expression of the highly conserved 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) at hippocampus as a biomarker ofneuroinflammation and as the possible receptor that mediates the action of Dz in our experimental model. We alsoanalyzed microgliosis and astrogliosis at hippocampus, as theupregulation of TSPO plays a role in the response of astrocytes and microglia during active brain disease. Female micewere immunized with MOG35-55 peptide or adjuvant aloneand pertussis toxin. At first symptom, animals were injectedwith diazepam or saline alone every 48 hr. After recovery ofclinical signs, brains were harvested for immunofluorescenceagainst Iba1 and GFAP or mRNA expression of TSPOthrough RT-PCR. We found that Dz ameliorated microgliosisand astrogliosis at hippocampus of EAE animals. Interestingly,Dz downregulated TSPO expression in both EAE and control animals. Further experiments are needed in order todilucidate a possible mechanism that could explain diazepameffects on motor signs of the disease and its anti-inflammatory effect at hippocampus