We have already found that a human glioma cell line U118MG could modu-late glycosphingolipid (GSL) expression via certain cytokines, though this effect is changeable and very difficult to reproduce even under consistent culture condi-tions. Consecutive analysis of cytokine effect using other 6 glioma (A172, T98G, KG-1C, U87MG, U138MG and U373MG) and one melanoma cell line (Mewo) failed to detect any GSL modulation. A total of ten cytokines were used in this experiment : IL-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-alpha, IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, IFN-gamma, and G-CSF, for treating KG-1C mixed glioma cells and 8 cytokines out of those for treating T98G glioblastoma cells. The rest of the cell lines were cultured with IFN-gamma and IL-4 because those two had once shown dramatic effect on GSL expression on U118MG cells. The fact that none of the 6 glioma cell lines responded to cytokines in terms of GSL modulation implies that cytokines do not play a significant role in regulating GSL expression in the glial cell lineage
