Protective effect of IL-18 on kainate- and IL-1β-induced cerebellar ataxia in mice

The pathogenesis of sporadic cerebellar ataxia remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that proinflammatory cytokines, IL-18 and IL-1β, reciprocally regulate kainate-induced cerebellar ataxia in mice. We show that systemic administration of kainate activated IL-1β and IL-18 predominantly in the cerebellum of mice, which was accompanied with ataxia. Mice deficient in caspase-1, IL-1R type I, or MyD88 were resistant to kainate-induced ataxia, while IL-18- or IL-18R α-deficient mice displayed significant delay of recovery from ataxia. A direct intracerebellar injection of IL-1β-induced ataxia and intracerebellar coinjection of IL-18 counteracted the effect of IL-1β. Our data firstly show that IL-18 and IL-1β display differential direct regulation in kainate-induced ataxia in mice. Our results might contribute toward the development of a new therapeutic strategy for cerebellar ataxia in humans.