Figure 5.

Chronic exposure to excess IL-1β elevates expression of α-synuclein and other markers of AD and PD pathologies in vivo. Slow-release pellets containing IL-1β (IL-1 pellet) or BSA (Sham) were implanted into the cerebrum of adult Sprague-Dawley rats, and unoperated age-matched rats served as controls (Control). After 21 days in all cases, cerebral tissue was homogenized and RNA was isolated. RT-PCR was performed using primers specific for α-synuclein (α-synuc), βAPP, tau, or MAPK-p38. GAPDH was also analyzed as a quantitative control. A) RT-PCR results; B) Quantification of results by densitometric analyses. * = p < 0.05, ** = p < 0.01.