Articles

  • the Korean Society for Brain and Neural Sciences

Article

Original Article

Exp Neurobiol 2016; 25(5): 262-268

Published online October 31, 2016

https://doi.org/10.5607/en.2016.25.5.262

© The Korean Society for Brain and Neural Sciences

Systematic Analysis of Translocator Protein 18 kDa (TSPO) Ligands on Toll-like Receptors-mediated Pro-inflammatory Responses in Microglia and Astrocytes

Ji-Won Lee1, Hyeri Nam1 and Seong-Woon Yu1,2*

1Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, 2Neurometabolomics Research Center, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Daegu 42988, Korea

Correspondence to: *To whom correspondence should be addressed.
TEL: 82-53-785-6113, FAX: 82-53-785-6109
e-mail: yusw@dgist.ac.kr

Received: July 28, 2016; Revised: August 24, 2016; Accepted: August 25, 2016

Abstract

Translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) is a mitochondrial protein highly expressed on reactive microglia and astrocytes, and is considered as a biomarker for neurodegeneration and brain damage, especially neuroinflammation. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are closely related with inflammatory responses of microglia and astrocytes and these signaling pathways regulate neuroinflammation. Previous reports have identified the anti-inflammatory effects of TSPO ligands, however study of their effects in relation to the TLR signaling was limited. Here, we investigated the effects of five representative TSPO ligands on microglia and astrocytes following activation by various TLR ligands. Our results show that TSPO ligands reduce the pro-inflammatory response elicited by the TLR ligands with more profound effects on microglia than astrocytes.

Keywords: TSPO, TSPO ligands, Toll-like receptors, microglia, astrocyte