Differential effects of lipopolysaccharide on cognition, corticosterone and cytokines in socially-housed vs isolated male rats.

Social isolation is an established risk factor for mental illness and impaired immune function. Evidence suggests that neuroinflammatory processes contribute to mental illness, possibly via cytokine-induced modulation of neural activity. We examined the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration and social home cage environment on cognitive performance in the 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task (5CSRTT), and their effects on corticosterone and cytokines in serum and brain tissue. Male Long-Evans rats were reared in pairs or in isolation before training on the 5CSRTT. The effects of saline and LPS (150 µg/kg i.p.) administration on sickness behaviour and task performance were then assessed. LPS-induced sickness behaviour was augmented in socially-isolated rats, translating to increased omissions and slower response times in the 5CSRTT. Both social isolation and LPS administration reduced impulsive responding, while discriminative accuracy remained unaffected. With the exception of reduced impulsivity in isolated rats, these effects were not observed following a second administration of LPS, revealing behavioural tolerance to repeated LPS injections. In a separate cohort of animals, social isolation potentiated the ability of LPS to increase serum corticosterone and IL-6, which corresponded to increased IL-6 in the orbitofrontal and medial prefrontal cortices and the nucleus accumbens. Basal IL-4 levels in the nucleus accumbens were reduced in socially-isolated rats. These findings are consistent with the adaptive response of reduced motivational drive following immune challenge, and identify social isolation as an exacerbating factor. Enhanced IL-6 signalling may play a role in mediating the potentiated behavioural response to LPS administration in isolated animals.