Molecular Mechanisms of IL18 in Disease

Interleukin 18 (IL18) was originally identified as an inflammation-induced cytokine that is secreted by immune cells. An increasing number of studies have focused on its non-immunological functions, with demonstrated functions for IL18 in energy homeostasis and neural stability. IL18 is reportedly r...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kyosuke Yamanishi, Masaki Hata, Naomi Gamachi, Yuko Watanabe, Chiaki Yamanishi, Haruki Okamura, Hisato Matsunaga
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-12-01
Series:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/24/17170
Description
Summary:Interleukin 18 (IL18) was originally identified as an inflammation-induced cytokine that is secreted by immune cells. An increasing number of studies have focused on its non-immunological functions, with demonstrated functions for IL18 in energy homeostasis and neural stability. IL18 is reportedly required for lipid metabolism in the liver and brown adipose tissue. Furthermore, IL18 (<i>Il18</i>) deficiency in mice leads to mitochondrial dysfunction in hippocampal cells, resulting in depressive-like symptoms and cognitive impairment. Microarray analyses of <i>Il18</i><sup>−/−</sup> mice have revealed a set of genes with differential expression in liver, brown adipose tissue, and brain; however, the impact of IL18 deficiency in these tissues remains uncertain. In this review article, we discuss these genes, with a focus on their relationships with the phenotypic disease traits of <i>Il18</i><sup>−/−</sup> mice.
ISSN:1661-6596
1422-0067