IL-1 and anti-inflammatory drugs modulate A beta cytotoxicity in PC12 cells

We studied the effect of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 beta (IL-1) and several anti-inflammatory drugs on amyloid beta-peptide (A beta) cytotoxicity. Incubation of PC12 cells with 10(-6) M A beta(1-42) for 24 h reduced viabilty to 36%; coincubation with 10(-7) M IL-1 further reduced viability to 13% of baseline. With preincubation of PC12 cells with the drugs indomethacin, dexamethasone and chloroquine, reduction in viabilty was limited to 51%, 48% and 44%, respectively, compared to 32% with A beta alone. These experiments support further study of anti-inflammatory therapy in Alzheimer's disease.