Abstract
Interleukin-13 (IL-13) is a powerful anti-inflammatory cytokine that was previously shown to be a susceptibility factor for Leishmania major (L. major) infection. In this study we report a different role for IL-13 in rats infected with L. major; rIL-13 stimulates expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and IL-12 which is a key cytokine in protective immunity against Leishmania. Infected rats received daily injections of rIL-13 for eight consecutive days which resulted in increased pain perception for the first week post-infection assessed by thermal pain tests. This hyperalgesia was accompanied by a sustained early up-regulation of interleukin-1β followed by an up-regulation of IL-12p70. Real-time PCR showed no negative impact for rIL-13 upon the clearance of the parasites from the infection sites and blood.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 224-229 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Experimental Parasitology |
Volume | 121 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Mar 2009 |
Keywords
- Hyperalgesia
- Immunoassays
- Interleukin-13
- Leishmania major
- Pain tests
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Parasitology
- Immunology
- Infectious Diseases