title: Lung cytokine production in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
abstract: In bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, lung injury is accompanied with inflammation and subsequent fibrosis. In this study, lung mRNA for several cytokines was measured in bleomycin-treated mice to evaluate their roles in lung fibrosis. Significant increases in tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) mRNA were found in lungs of bleomycin-treated responder CBA mice but not in nonresponder BALB/c mice. Increases in responder animals peaked on day 7 after bleomycin administration, and subsequently returned toward control levels. This time course paralleled that for the increase in beta-actin mRNA, but preceded the peak increase in mRNA for collagens I and III. When lung macrophages were analyzed for cytokine secretion, differences were observed between alveolar macrophages and interstitial cells, and between cells from bleomycin-responsive CBA and nonresponsive BALB/c mice. Only alveolar macrophages from CBA mice secreted increased amounts of IL-1. TNF-alpha activity was increased in conditioned media of alveolar and interstitial cells of CBA mice, while only alveolar macrophages of nonresponder BALB/c mice secreted any activity. The kinetics of the increased secretion of TNF-alpha was dissimilar for these different cells. These results are consistent with the conclusion that increased production of TNF-alpha and TGF-beta is an important component of the fibrotic process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor 48109-0602.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Phan
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Kunkel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001761:Bleomycin; D002469:Cell Separation; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D001761:Bleomycin