Unique Features of the Immune Response in BTBR Mice

Inflammation plays a considerable role in the pathogenesis of many diseases, including neurodegenerative and psychiatric ones. Elucidation of the specific features of an immune response in various model organisms, and studying the relation of these features with the behavioral phenotype, can improve the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of many psychopathologies. In this work, we focused on BTBR mice, which have a pronounced autism-like behavioral phenotype, elevated levels of oxidative-stress markers, an abnormal immune response, several structural aberrations in the brain, and other unique traits. Although some studies have already shown an abnormal immune response in BTBR mice, the existing literature data are still fragmentary. Here, we used inflammation induced by low-dose lipopolysaccharide, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid, or their combinations, in mice of strains BTBR T+Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) and C57BL6/J. Peripheral inflammation was assessed by means of a complete blood count, lymphocyte immunophenotyping, and expression levels of cytokines in the spleen. Neuroinflammation was evaluated in the hypothalamus and prefrontal cortex by analysis of mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor, Tnf), (interleukin-1 beta, Il-1β), and (interleukin-6, Il-6) and of markers of microglia activation (allograft inflammatory factor 1, Aif1) and astroglia activation (glial fibrillary acidic protein, Gfap). We found that in both strains of mice, the most severe inflammatory response was caused by the administration of polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid, whereas the combined administration of the two toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists did not enhance this response. Nonetheless, BTBR mice showed a more pronounced response to low-dose lipopolysaccharide, an altered lymphocytosis ratio due to an increase in the number of CD4+ lymphocytes, and high expression of markers of activated microglia (Aif1) and astroglia (Gfap) in various brain regions as compared to C57BL6/J mice. Thus, in addition to research into mechanisms of autism-like behavior, BTBR mice can be used as a model of TLR3/TLR4-induced neuroinflammation and a unique model for finding and evaluating the effectiveness of various TLR antagonists aimed at reducing neuroinflammation.