IFN-β reverses the lipopolysaccharide-induced proteome modifications in treated astrocytes

Astrocytes have a key role in the pathogenesis of several diseases, including multiple sclerosis, and are proposed as a possible target for immunotherapy.Our earlier study reported that astrocytes treated with IFN-β modified their biomechanical properties possibly due to changes in the expression of the proteins involved in cytoskeleton organization and other important physiological processes.To gain insight into the mechanism underlying IFN-β action during inflammation, we stimulated astrocytes with LPS, a bacterial wall component used as a model for both in vitro and in vivo immunological stimulation of microglia and astrocytes.We showed that IFN-β reverses the effects of LPS on the proteome of astrocytes. To better examine this result, we performed a proteomic analysis of astrocytes treated with LPS or LPS plus IFN-β. Treatment with LPS caused increases both in a series of proteins mainly involved in cytoskeletal changes and in protein degradation, as well as protective enzymes like superoxide dismutase. IFN-β reverses LPS effects on astrocyte proteome, supporting its protective role during inflammatory insults.