Beneficial potential of intravenously administered IL-6 in improving outcome after murine experimental stroke

•Manipulation of the IL-6 system after cerebral ischemia has beneficial potential.•IL-6 and IL-6R are primarily produced by neurons after cerebral ischemia.•I.v. adm. IL-6 improves outcome independent of infarct volume in C57BL/6 mice.•I.v. adm. IL-6 reduces infarct volume and improves outcome in IL-6 KO mice.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine with neuroprotective properties. Still, the therapeutic potential of IL-6 after experimental stroke has not yet been investigated in a clinically relevant way. Here, we investigated the therapeutic use of intravenously administered IL-6 and the soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) alone or in combination, early after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAo) in mice. IL-6 did not affect the infarct volume in C57BL/6 mice, at neither 24 nor 72 h after pMCAo but reduced the infarct volume in IL-6 knockout mice at 24 h after pMCAo. Assessment of post-stroke behavior showed an improved grip strength after a single IL-6 injection and also improved rotarod endurance after two injections, in C57BL/6 mice at 24 h. An improved grip strength and a better preservation of sensory functions was also observed in IL-6 treated IL-6 knockout mice 24 h after pMCAo. Co-administration of IL-6 and sIL-6R increased the infarct volume, the number of infiltrating polymorphonuclear leukocytes and impaired the rotarod endurance of C57BL/6 mice 24 h after pMCAo. IL-6 administration to naïve C57BL/6 mice lead after 45 min to increased plasma-levels of CXCL1 and IL-10, whereas IL-6 administration to C57BL/6 mice lead to a reduction in the ischemia-induced increase in IL-6 and CXCL1 at both mRNA and protein level in brain, and of IL-6 and CXCL1 in serum. We also investigated the expression of IL-6 and IL-6R after pMCAo and found that cortical neurons upregulated IL-6 mRNA and protein, and upregulated IL-6R after pMCAo. In conclusion, the results show a complex but potentially beneficial effect of intravenously administered IL-6 in experimental stroke.