title: Regulation by interleukin-1 of nerve growth factor secretion and nerve growth factor mRNA expression in rat primary astroglial cultures.
abstract: Primary cultures of neonatal rat cortical astrocytes contain low cellular levels (about 2 pg/mg of protein) of nerve growth factor (NGF), but secrete significant amounts of NGF into the culture medium (about 540 pg of NGF/mg of cell protein/38-h incubation). Incubation of astrocytes with interleukin-1 (IL-1) increased the cellular content of NGF and the amount secreted by about threefold. In comparison, cerebellar astrocytes secreted significant amounts of NGF, and the secretion was also stimulated by IL-1. The stimulatory action of IL-1 on astrocytes prepared from cortex was dose- and time-dependent. Concentrations of IL-1 causing half-maximal and maximal stimulation of NGF secretion were 1 and 10 U/ml, respectively). Maximal NGF secretion induced by IL-1 (10 U/ml) was seen following 38 h of incubation. The basal secretion of NGF was reduced by about 50% under Ca2(+)-free conditions; however, the percent stimulation of NGF secretion by IL-1 was the same in the absence or presence of Ca2+. The stimulatory action of IL-1 was specific, because other glial growth factors and cytokines were almost ineffective in stimulating NGF secretion from cortical astroglial cells. IL-1 treatment also increased cellular NGF mRNA content twofold. The results indicate that IL-1 specifically triggers a cascade of events, independent of cell growth, which regulate NGF mRNA content and NGF secretion by astrocytes.
authors.affiliation: Fidia-Georgetown Institute for the Neurosciences, Georgetown University Medical School, Washington, DC 20007.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carman-Krzan
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Vigé
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Wise
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002118:Calcium