Interleukin-1β-Induced Inflammatory Signaling and Myelin-Related Alterations in Oligodendroglia and Schwann Cells in Multiple Sclerosis: Modulatory Effects of Ibuprofen and Flurbiprofen

Neuroinflammation, read as elevated levels of Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and of its downstream signaling cascade, has been shown to play a neuropathogenic role in numerous neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Western blotting was used to determine the effects of IL-1β and its signaling cascade on Human Oligodendroglioma (HOG) and Schwann cells and to evaluate the potential therapeutic effects of Ibuprofen and Flurbiprofen on MS pathogenesis in vitro. IL-1β increased neuroinflammatory markers like TNFα, MyD88, βAPP, COX-2, and IL-6, as well as transcription factors like NFκB and STAT in HOG and Schwann cells, which in turn regulate the expression of other cytokines, resulting in the activation of the self-perpetuating Cytokine Cycle. The IL-1β treatment of HOG and Schwann cells decreased the levels of myelin Basic Protein (MBP) and synaptophysin while at the same time increasing βAPP. Autophagy markers like LAMP-2 and LC3B were downregulated. In contrast, treatment with Ibuprofen and Flurbiprofen effectively countered the harmful effects of IL-1β in MS. These in vitro studies show that IL-1β can play a possible detrimental role in facilitating neuropathogenesis, as seen in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and anti-inflammatory drugs Ibuprofen and Flurbiprofen have a potential role in modulating the neuroinflammation in MS.