title: Corticotropin-releasing activity of monokines.
abstract: Hepatocyte-stimulating factor and interleukin-1 are proteins produced by monocytes in response to inflammatory challenge. Neither of these monokines had direct effects on steroid production by cultured adrenocortical cells. Both monokines stimulated pituitary cells (AtT-20) to release adrenocorticotropic hormone; interleukin-1 was equipotent with a combination of corticotropin-releasing factor and arginine vasopressin, and hepatocyte-stimulating factor was at least three times as effective. The synthetic glucocorticoid, dexamethasone, inhibited production of hepatocyte-stimulating factor by cultured monocytes. These results indicate an axis between monocytes and pituitary and adrenocortical cells which may play a role in regulating host defense.
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015850:Interleukin-6; D051379:Mice; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D015846:Monokines; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000502:physiology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D015846:Monokines; D011506:Proteins; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone