Innate immune stimulation by monophosphoryl lipid A prevents chronic social defeat stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors in mice

BACKGROUND: Innate immune pre-stimulation can prevent the development of depression-like behaviors in chronically stressed mice; however, whether the same stimulation prevents the development of anxiety-like behaviors in animals remains unclear. We addressed this issue using monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL), a derivative of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) that lacks undesirable properties of LPS but still keeps immune-enhancing activities. METHODS: The experimental mice were pre-injected intraperitoneally with MPL before stress exposure. Depression was induced through chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). Behavioral tests were conducted to identify anxiety-like behaviors. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and biochemical assays were employed to examine the gene and protein expression levels of pro-inflammatory markers. RESULTS: A single MPL injection at the dose of 400 and 800 μg/kg 1 day before stress exposure prevented CSDS-induced anxiety-like behaviors, and a single MPL injection (400 μg/kg) five but not 10 days before stress exposure produced similar effect. The preventive effect of MPL on anxiety-like behaviors was also observed in CSDS mice who received a second MPL injection 10 days after the first MPL injection or a 4 × MPL injection 10 days before stress exposure. MPL pre-injection also prevented the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex in CSDS mice, and inhibiting the central immune response by minocycline pretreatment abrogated the preventive effect of MPL on CSDS-induced anxiety-like behaviors and pro-inflammatory cytokine productions in the brain. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-stimulation of the innate immune system by MPL can prevent chronic stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors and neuroinflammatory responses in the brain in mice.