Techniques
The laboratory employs a variety of experimental techniques including:
- In vivo remote monitoring of changes in core body temperature and food intake;
- Immunohistochemical analysis of the brain and other tissue;
- Immunoassays (ELISA) for pro- (IL-1, 6, and TNF-alpha) and anti- (IL-1ra, IL-10) inflammatory cytokines in plasma and various other tissues, including the brain;
- RT-PCR for assessing cytokine regulation at the mRNA level;
- Western blot analysis of various cytokines and their receptors.