title: Up-regulation of monocytic IL-10 by tumor necrosis factor-alpha and cAMP elevating drugs.
abstract: It is well established that endotoxin [lipopolysacharide (LPS)] induces pro-inflammatory cytokine production in monocytes, which is followed by secretion of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10. IL-10 down-regulates inflammatory response [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, IL-1, IL-6, IL-8] as well as IL-10 synthesis itself. We wondered whether pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha may be involved in the regulation of human IL-10 synthesis. TNF-alpha induced de novo IL-10 mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner but no IL-10 protein in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Furthermore, LPS-induced IL-10 gene and protein expression was significantly inhibited by neutralizing anti-TNF-alpha mAb. On the basis of these results, we conclude that TNF-alpha is involved in the up-regulation of its antagonist IL-10. Paradoxically, drugs that effectively inhibit expression of TNF-alpha via the elevation of intracellular cAMP level (iloprost, pentoxifylline, prostaglandin E2 and N6,2-O-dibutyryl cAMP) augmented the endotoxin-induced IL-10 synthesis at both protein and mRNA levels. In order to provide a basis for the analysis of the transcriptional regulation of the human IL-10 gene, we isolated a fragment of the human IL-10 gene containing 1308 bp of the 5' non-coding sequence. It shows remarkable homology to the mouse IL-10 promoter in regions that have been associated with transcriptional regulation, including a cAMP responsive element which could explain the cAMP-mediated effects. The lack of a NF-kappa B-like binding site in the human sequence suggests a NF-kappa B-independent mechanism of TNF-alpha-induced IL-10 gene activation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Platzer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meisel
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Platzer
authors.forename: H D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Volk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016285:Iloprost / Q000494:pharmacology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D016285:Iloprost