Roles of cytokines in the neural-immune interactions: Modulation of NMDA responses by IFN-α

Several lines of evidence have indicated that interferon-α (IFN-α) induces a variety of central actions; e.g., fever, anorexia, slow wave sleep and depression. However, little is known about the cellular mechanisms by which IFN-α affects neuronal activity. In the present article, the effects of recombinant human IFN-α on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced responses of rat medial preoptic (MPO) neurons were examined by means of slice patch method as an in vitro model of neural-immune interactions. The results suggest that IFN-α suppresses the NMDA responses through its action on opioid receptors and the production of free radicals such as hydroxyl radicals and nitric oxide (NO) due to the neuron-glial cell interactions.