Signal transduction mechanism of interleukin 6 in cultured rat mesangial cells

AbstractInterleukin 6 (IL-6) is one of the potent autocrine growth factors for mesangial cells. We investigated the signal transduction mechanism or IL-6 in cultured rat mesangial cells. IL-6 induced a transient increase of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (Ins 1,4,5-P3) followed by a transient and sustained increase of intracellular calcium concentration, suggesting that IL-6 stimulates phosphoinositide turnover. IL-6 also stimulated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production. The IL-6-concentration dependency in PGE2 production was similar to that in Ins 1,4,5-P3 production. We concluded that the action of IL-6 on mesangial cells is exerted at least partially through the enhancement of phosphoinositide turnover and PGE2 production

Hypoxia/reoxygenation-mediated induction of astrocyte interleukin 6: a paracrine mechanism potentially enhancing neuron survival.

This is the published version. Copyright 1994 The Rockefeller University Press.To elucidate mechanisms underlying neuroprotective properties of astrocytes in brain ischemia, production of neurotrophic mediators was studied in astrocytes exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). Rat astrocytes subjected to H/R released increased amounts of interleukin (IL) 6 in a time-dependent manner, whereas levels of tumor necrosis factor and IL-1 remained undetectable. IL-6 transcripts were induced in hypoxia and the early phase of reoxygenation, whereas synthesis and release of IL-6 antigen/activity occurred during reoxygenation. Elevated levels of IL-6 mRNA were due, at least in part, to increased transcription, as shown by nuclear runoff analysis. The mechanism stimulating synthesis and release of IL-6 antigen by astrocytes was probably production of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROIs), which occurred within 15-20 minutes after placing hypoxia cultures back into normoxia, as the inhibitor diphenyl iodonium inhibited the burst of ROIs and subsequent IL-6 generation (blockade of nitric oxide formation had no effect on ROI generation or IL-6 production). Enhanced IL-6 generation was also observed in human astrocytoma cultures exposed to H/R. Survival of differentiated PC12 cells exposed to H/R was potentiated by conditioned medium from H/R astrocytes, an effect blocked by neutralizing anti-IL-6 antibody. In a gerbil model of brain ischemia, IL-6 activity was lower in the hippocampus, an area sensitive to ischemia, compared with IL-6 activity in the cortex, an area more resistant to ischemia. IL-6 antigen, demonstrated immunohistochemically, was increased in astrocytes from ischemic regions of gerbil brain. These data suggest that H/R enhances transcription of IL-6, resulting in increased translation and release of IL-6 antigen after the burst of ROI generated early during reoxygenation. Release of IL-6 from astrocytes could exert a paracrine neurotrophic effect in brain ischemia

Phosphatase toward MAP kinase is regulated by osmolarity in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells

AbstractWe have reported that MAP kinase and its activator were activated by increase in extracellular osmolarity in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells [J. Clin. Invest. 93 (1994) 2387–2392]. The activation of MAP kinase quickly disappeared when cells in hypertonicity were shifted to isotonicity. Present study was planned to elucidate the mechanism for the inactivation of MAP kinase when osmolarity decreased. Combination of two different phosphatase inhibitors, 10−6 M okadaic acid and 0.2 mM sodium orthovanadate, blocked the inactivation of MAP kinase after the decrease in osmolarity. We also demonstrated that phosphatase toward MAP kinase was activated in response to the decrease in osmolarity. These results suggest that MAP kinase is inactivated by phosphatase that is activated when osmolarity decreased

High prevalence of atrial fibrosis in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

Objectives.We examined the extent of fibrotic changes in the left atrium of cardiomyopathic human hearts and investigated the relation of mechanical overload caused by left ventricular dysfunction to fibrosis of the left atrium.Background.Left atrial dysfunction in dilated cardiomyopathy may contribute to progression of heart failure. In contrast to fibrosis of the left ventricle, atrial fibrosis has not been extensively studied in cardiomyopathic hearts.Methods.The extent of fibrosis in the left atrium and left ventricle was determined by an automatic image analyzer in 38 autopsied hearts obtained from 9 patients who died of noncardiac illness (control group), 16 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, 6 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with features mimicking dilated cardiomyopathy and 7 patients with a previous myocardial infarction. Transverse sections were obtained at the upper margins of the foramen ovale and left auricle in the left atrium and the median level of the left ventricle.Results.There were no significant differences in extent of left atrial dilation, left ventricular dysfunction or duration of illness among the three groups with cardiac disease. Percent area of left atrial fibrosis (mean ± SD) was significantly greater in the specimens from patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (13.1 ± 6.1%, p < 0.01) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mimicking dilated cardiomyopathy (26.5 ± 9.5%, p < 0.01) than in those from patients with an old myocardial infarction (3.8 ± 1.1%). Percent area of left ventricular fibrosis in hearts from patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (12.9 ± 8.6%) was significantly smaller than that in hearts from patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mimicking dilated cardiomyopathy (35.8 ± 11.9%, p < 0.01) and a previous myocardial infarction (38.4 ± 8.0%, p < 0.01). Percent area of atrial fibrosis was significantly correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction in the group with a previous myocardial infarction but not in the other groups.Conclusions.There was a high degree of fibrotic change in the left atrium in the groups with dilated cardiomyopathy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mimicking dilated cardiomyopathy. Our findings suggest that atrial fibrosis in these patients may not have been related to mechanical overload of the left atrium but to some other, still unknown mechanisms