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The relationship between interleukin-6 and functional connectivity in methamphetamine users

Milky Kohno1, Jennifer M Loftis2, Marilyn Huckans3

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, USA; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, USA; Research & Development Service, Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR, USA; Methamphetamine Abuse Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University and Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR, USA.

Neuroscience Letters
|April 25, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Methamphetamine addiction is linked to inflammation. Higher interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels correlated with altered brain connectivity in methamphetamine-dependent individuals, suggesting inflammation

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Methamphetamine (MA) use is associated with increased pro-inflammatory cytokines.
  • Neuroinflammation, driven by microglia activation, may influence addiction-related behaviors via reward pathways.
  • Understanding the role of specific cytokines like interleukin-6 (IL-6) in brain connectivity is crucial for addiction research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) in the corticolimbic and striatolimbic networks.
  • To explore how IL-6 interacts with group status (MA dependence vs. controls) to affect brain connectivity.

Main Methods:

  • Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was conducted on 30 adults with MA dependence and 20 healthy controls.
  • Plasma IL-6 levels were measured.
  • Seed-based RSFC analyses were performed, focusing on ventral striatal and prefrontal regions.

Main Results:

  • In the MA group, higher IL-6 levels were positively associated with striatolimbic RSFC.
  • Conversely, higher IL-6 levels were negatively associated with corticostriatal RSFC within the MA group.
  • These associations were specific to the MA-dependent individuals.

Conclusions:

  • Findings suggest that IL-6-related inflammation may mediate the association between MA use disorder, altered brain connectivity, and behavioral aspects of addiction.
  • The results support a role for inflammatory processes, potentially impacting mesolimbic and mesocortical dopaminergic systems, in the neurobiology of methamphetamine addiction.
Keywords:
CorticostriatalIL-6InflammationMesocorticolimbicMethamphetamineResting-state functional connectivity

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