Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

School of Medicine

Department

Neurology

Committee Chair

Richard D. Dey.

Abstract

Previous studies show that both IL-1 and NGF increase synthesis of SP in airway neurons after either direct application or ozone exposure. We hypothesize that NGF mediates ozone-induced IL-1 effects on SP, similar to the pathway described for sympathetic neurons in culture. The current study specifically focuses on the effect of ozone on IL-1, NGF, and SP levels in mice BALF and if these mediators can be linked in an inflammatory-neuronal cascade in vivo. The experiments demonstrate in vivo ozone exposure induces an increase of all three proteins in mouse BALF and that both ozone-induced increases in NGF and SP are mediated by the inflammatory cytokine IL-1. Even though these findings did not definitely link NGF as the mediator of IL-1 effects on SP, it did not conclusively eliminate this possibility. These data did indicate that IL-1 is an early mediator of ozone-induced increase in NGF and SP release in mice in vivo.

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