Action site of circulating interleukin-1 on the rabbit brain.

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is now generally accepted as an endogenous pyrogenic mediator of fever induction. IL-1 induces fever by means of activation of arachidonate metabolism in the brain. However, whether circulating IL-1 enters the brain or not, further, the question of where is the action site of circulating IL-1 on the brain, have not been clearly demonstrated. In the present study, to investigate the site of action of circulating IL-1 on the brain, recombinant rabbit interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) was labeled with colloidal gold, injected into the carotid artery of anesthetized rabbits and traced in the brain tissue by means of electron microscopy. Dose-dependent increase in colonic temperature was induced by intravenous injection of used IL-1 in rabbits, while heated IL-1 beta lost the pyrogenicity. Injection of solution of colloidal gold per se did not affect the colonic temperature of afebrile conscious rabbits. However, the IL-1/gold conjugates induced fever; IL-1 beta retained its pyrogenic potency even after labeling with gold. By electron microscopy, the IL-1/gold conjugates were observed on the surface and in the vesicle of endothelial cells of the capillary in the region of the anteroventral third ventricle. This implies that circulating IL-1 acts, as the initial step to induce fever, on the endothelium in that region.