title: Interleukin-1 beta measured by radioimmunoassay in the rat spleen and thymus is increased during chronic inflammatory stress.
abstract: We have developed an extraction method and radioimmunoassay for the measurement of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) in rat tissues, using an antibody specific for IL-1 beta, IL-1 beta was detected in the spleen and thymus of control rats. Adrenalectomy (ADX) had no effect upon control levels of IL-1 beta. In animals with adjuvant-induced arthritis, IL-1 beta content in the spleen and thymus increased after 14 days. These increases in tissue IL-1 beta contents were not evident in ADX arthritic animals. We conclude that IL-1 beta synthesis is stimulated in tissues of the immune system following the development of adjuvant-induced arthritis. Failure to observe elevated levels of tissue IL-1 beta in ADX arthritic rats may be evidence for tissue depletion due to increased IL-1 beta release in the absence of circulating corticosteroids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Bristol Royal Infirmary, UK.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Jessop
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Chowdrey
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lightman
mesh_terms: D000315:Adrenalectomy; D000818:Animals; D001169:Arthritis, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013154:Spleen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1