Age and duration of inflammatory environment differentially affect the neuroimmune response and catecholaminergic neurons in the midbrain and brainstem

Neuroinflammation and degeneration of ascending catecholaminergic systems occur early in the neuro- degenerative process. Age and the duration of a pro-inflammatory environment induced by continuous intraventricular lipopolysaccharide (LPS) differentially affect the expression profile of pro- and anti- inflammatory genes and proteins as well as the number of activated microglia (express major histocom- patibility complex II; MHC II) and the integrityand density of ascending catecholaminergic neural systems originating from the locus coeruleus (LC) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in rats. LPS infusion increasedgeneexpressionand/orproteinlevelsforbothpro-andanti-inflammatorybiomarkers.Although