title: Role for interleukin-1 (IL-1) in benzene-induced hematotoxicity: inhibition of conversion of pre-IL-1 alpha to mature cytokine in murine macrophages by hydroquinone and prevention of benzene-induced hematotoxicity in mice by IL-1 alpha.
abstract: Chronic exposure of humans to benzene (BZ), a myelotoxin, causes aplastic anemia and acute leukemia. The stromal macrophage that produces interleukin-1 (IL-1), a cytokine essential for hematopoiesis, is a target of BZ's toxicity. Monocyte dysfunction and decreased IL-1 production have been shown to be involved in aplastic anemia in humans. Hydroquinone (HQ), a toxic bone marrow (BM) metabolite of BZ, causes time- and concentration-dependent inhibition of processing of the 34-Kd pre-interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) to the 17-Kd mature cytokine in murine P388D1 macrophages and BM stromal macrophages, as measured by Western immunoblots of cell lysate proteins using a polyclonal rabbit antimurine IL-1 alpha antibody. HQ over a 10-fold concentration range had no effect on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of pre-IL-1 alpha precursor or on cell viability or DNA and protein synthesis. Stromal macrophages obtained from the femoral BM of C57Bl/6 mice exposed to BZ (600 or 800 mg/kg body weight) for 2 days were incapable of processing the 34-Kd pre-IL-1 alpha to the mature 17-Kd cytokine when stimulated in culture with LPS. Stromal macrophages from mice coadministered BZ and indomethacin, a prostaglandin H synthase (PHS) inhibitor that has been shown to prevent BZ-induced myelotoxic and genotoxic effects in mice when coadministered with benzene were able to convert the pre-IL-1 alpha to mature cytokine. Administration of recombinant murine IL-1 alpha (rMuIL-1 alpha) to mice before a dose of BZ that causes severe depression of BM cellularity completely prevents BM depression, most probably by bypassing the inability of the stromal macrophage in BZ-treated animals to process pre-IL-1 alpha to the mature cytokine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Renz
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Kalf
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001554:Benzene / Q000633:toxicity*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006873:Hydroquinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000494:pharmacology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006873:Hydroquinones; D007375:Interleukin-1; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011498:Protein Precursors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C043830:interleukin 1 precursor; D004247:DNA; D001554:Benzene; C031927:hydroquinone; D007213:Indomethacin