Pulmonary hypertension in rats. 2. Role of interleukin-6.
We administered human interleukin (IL)-6 to rats to examine whether it is implicated in the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH). The rats injected with IL-6 developed PH as determined by the weight ratio of the right ventricle to the left ventricle+septum. This ratio decreased with the appearance of IgG anti-human IL-6 antibody. Histologically we observed in the lungs, luminal occlusion of small muscular arteries, capillaries filled with fibrin thrombi, and localized hemorrhage. IL-6 increased the number of platelets, and the number of platelets correlated with the extent of PH. Thus, it seems likely that (IL-6) is involved in the formation of PH in this model.
Miyata
M
M
Department of Internal Medicine II, Fukushima Medical College, Japan.
Sakuma
F
F
Yoshimura
A
A
Ishikawa
H
H
Nishimaki
T
T
Kasukawa
R
R
D000818:Animals; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D006470:Hemorrhage; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology* / Q000633:toxicity; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010976:Platelet Count; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015850:Interleukin-6