title: [Interleukin 6 receptors on human bronchial epithelial cells].
abstract: It has been suggested that a variety of cytokines may play important roles in the regulation of immune and inflammatory responses in the lung. The purpose of this study was to determine whether interleukin 6 (IL-6) could affect the cell growth of human bronchial epithelial cells via a specific receptor for IL-6. Human recombinant IL-6 inhibited the cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. Binding assay with radiolabelled IL-6 demonstrated that human bronchial epithelial cells had specific receptors for IL-6. Moreover, Northern blot analysis using digoxigenin-labelled IL-6R mRNA expression in these cells. Interestingly, proinflammatory cytokines IL-1 alpha and IL-6 upregulated IL-6R mRNA levels. These results suggest that IL-6 may affect the functions of bronchial epithelial cells via a specific receptor, and that its activity on cells may be regulated at the level of receptor-cytokine binding.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Physical Therapy, University of Tokyo School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takizawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D001980:Bronchi / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D011994:Recombinant Proteins