EP4 Receptor-Associated Protein in Microglia Promotes Inflammation in the Brain.

EP4 Receptor-Associated Protein in Microglia Promotes Inflammation in the Brain. Am J Pathol. 2016 Jun 14; Authors: Fujikawa R, Higuchi S, Nakatsuji M, Yasui M, Ikedo T, Nagata M, Yokode M, Minami M Abstract Microglial cells play a key role in neuronal damage in neurodegenerative disorders. Overactivated microglia induce detrimental neurotoxic effects through the excess production of proinflammatory cytokines. However, the mechanisms of microglial activation are poorly understood. We focused on prostaglandin E2 type 4 receptor-associated protein (EPRAP), which suppresses macrophage activation. We demonstrated that EPRAP exists in microglia in the brain. Furthermore, EPRAP-deficient mice displayed less microglial accumulation, and intraperitoneal administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) led to reduced expression of tumor necrosis factor-α and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 mRNA in the brains of EPRAP-deficient mice. Consistently, EPRAP-deficient microglia showed a marked decrease in the production of tumor necrosis factor-α and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 induced by LPS treatment compared with wild-type controls. In addition, EPRAP deficiency decreased microglial activation and neuronal cell death induced by intraventricular injection of kainic acid. EPRAP deficiency impaired the LPS-induced phosphorylation of c-jun N-terminal kinase and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in microglia. The phosphorylation levels of mi...
Source: The American Journal of Pathology - Category: Pathology Authors: Tags: Am J Pathol Source Type: research