Concomitant cortical expression of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNAs follows early response gene expression in transient focal ischemia

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Abstract
The expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) mRNAs was significantly increased in the rat ischemic cortex following temporary occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (TMCAO) with reperfusion. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that the induction of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNAs occurred as early as 1 h after reperfusion, exhibiting a 4.6-fold increase (pn=4) and 6.8-fold increase (pn=4) in the ischemic cortex over control, respectively. TNF-α mRNA reached its peak at 3 h (8.0-fold,ppfos and zif268 mRNAs, two early response genes, displayed a greater and earlier time-response profile. The early induction of c-fos and zif268 mRNAs in temporary brain ischemia with reperfusion suggests their roles in transcriptional regulation. The later concomitant expression of TNF-α and IL-1β suggests that these cytokines play an important role in the inflammatory response associated with focal ischemia.