Effect of serotonin on cytokine mRNA expression in rat hippocampal astrocytes.
Serotonin is a widely distributed neurotransmitter which elicits a range of central activities. We examined the effect of serotonin on cytokine mRNA expression by rat hippocampal astrocytes in primary cultures. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis shows that interleukin-6 (IL6) mRNA is expressed after 10(-12) M serotonin stimulation whereas transforming growth factor-beta (TGF beta) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF alpha) are induced by 10(-10) M serotonin. These inductions appeared after 1 h stimulation for IL6 and TNF alpha, whereas that of TGF beta appeared after 4 h. The present results provide the first evidence that serotonin can influence astrocyte cytokine production, and thus this neurotransmitter may be considered a potential neuroimmunomodulator.
Pousset
F
F
Sanofi Recherche, Toulouse, France.
Fournier
J
J
Legoux
P
P
Keane
P
P
Shire
D
D
Soubrie
P
P
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012701:Serotonin