Production of macrophage colony-stimulating factor by astrocytes and brain macrophages.
Morphological hallmarks of inflammatory and degenerative diseases of the brain are hypertrophy of astrocytes and accumulation of macrophages recruited from circulating blood monocytes and/or from resident macrophages, the so-called microglial cells. Recently, production of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) by astrocytes has been suggested to contribute to the macrophage response. Here we report that in addition to GM-CSF, murine astrocytes also produce macrophage (M)-CSF upon stimulation with tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1 and lipopolysaccharides. The bioactivity detected in supernatant of astrocytes was characterized using the M-CSF-dependent cell line M-NFS-60 and neutralizing anti-M-CSF antibodies. RNase protection analysis showed M-CSF mRNA already in unstimulated astrocytes without striking up-regulation by the stimuli. Thus, in astrocytes the expression of the M-CSF gene is predominantly regulated at the posttranscriptional level.
Frei
K
K
Section of Clinical Immunology, University Hospital, Zürich, Switzerland.
Nohava
K
K
Malipiero
U V
UV
Schwerdel
C
C
Fontana
A
A
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D016186:Receptor, Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D016186:Receptor, Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor