Effect of interleukin-4 on antioxidant protection of the brain in rats during acute emotional stress.

We studied the effect of IL-4 on antioxidant enzyme activity in brain structures (hypothalamus, sensorimotor cortex, and amygdala) in behaviorally passive and active rats. One-hour immobilization of animals with simultaneous delivery of subthreshold electrocutaneous stimulation was used as the model of acute stress. Intraperitoneal injection of IL-4 (5 μg/kg) was followed by an increase in activities of glutathione peroxidase and Cu/Zn SOD in the hypothalamus of non-stressed rats. Activities of glutathione peroxidase and Cu/Zn SOD in the amygdala were shown to decrease. Administration of IL-4 was accompanied by activation of glutathione peroxidase (active and passive rats), glutathione reductase (passive rats), and Cu/Zn SOD (active rats) in the sensorimotor cortex. These data indicate that the efficiency of antioxidant protection increases in the hypothalamus and sensorimotor cortex, but decreases in the amygdala of rats receiving IL-4. Pretreatment with IL-4 abolished a poststress increase in glutathione peroxidase activity in the sensorimotor cortex of passive animals.