title: Stimulation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by zinc and related cations.
abstract: Zinc is an important trace element for immune function. Here, we show that zinc addition in a serum- and lipopolysaccharide-free cell culture system leads to significantly enhanced levels of interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and to expression of the corresponding mRNA in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Structurally related divalent cations like cobalt, nickel, and mercury also partially increase monokine secretion but to a much lower and thus insignificant extent. They fail to induce mRNA of TNF-alpha after 3 h of culture. Therefore, monokine induction is a zinc-specific effect influenced by the physicochemical properties of the ion. Confirmation of the unique significance of zinc for immune function provides a better understanding of the mechanisms of specific zinc-mediated immune modulation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, University of Lübeck School of Medicine, Germany.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wellinghausen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Driessen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rink
mesh_terms: D003035:Cobalt / Q000494:pharmacology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects*; D008628:Mercury / Q000494:pharmacology; D009532:Nickel / Q000494:pharmacology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D035582:Transcription Factor TFIIIA; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007375:Interleukin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D035582:Transcription Factor TFIIIA; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D003035:Cobalt; D009532:Nickel; D008628:Mercury; D015032:Zinc