Neuroimmune Response in Natural Preclinical Scrapie after Dexamethasone Treatment

A recently published report on chronic dexamethasone treatment for natural scrapie supported the hypothesis of the potential failure of astroglia in the advanced stage of disease. Herein, we aimed to extend the aforementioned study on the effect of this anti-inflammatory therapy to the initial phase of scrapie, with the aim of elucidating the natural neuroinflammatory process occurring in this neurodegenerative disorder. The administration of this glucocorticoid resulted in an outstanding reduction in vacuolation and aberrant protein deposition (nearly null), and an increase in glial activation. Furthermore, evident suppression of IL-1R and IL-6 and the exacerbation of IL-1α, IL-2R, IL-10R and IFNγR were also demonstrated. Consequently, the early stage of the disease is characterized by an intact neuroglial response similar to that of healthy individuals attempting to re-establish homeostasis. A complex network of neuroinflammatory markers is involved from the very early stages of this prion disease, which probably becomes impaired in the more advanced stages. The in vivo animal model used herein provides essential observations on the pathogenesis of natural scrapie, as well as the possibility of establishing neuroglia as potential target cells for anti-inflammatory therapy.