title: Influence of heparin and type-IV collagen on IL-6 synthesis by rat glomerular mesangial cells.
abstract: Recent studies have revealed the potential importance of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the modulation of mesangial cell (MC) function. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is produced by MCs and was shown to induce MC proliferation, acting as an autocrine growth factor. Heparin is a known inhibitor of MC proliferation. It was shown to modulate ECM synthesis by cultured MCs. The action of heparin on IL-6 synthesis by MCs is presently unknown. We investigated the effect of heparin on IL-6 production when MCs were cultured with or without type-IV collagen, a major constituent of ECM. When MCs were cultured without coating, heparin significantly decreased their IL-6 production; on type-IV collagen, heparin had no significant effect. When tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) was used to stimulate the cells to produce IL-6, heparin was able to decrease the stimulatory effect of TNF-alpha when the cells were cultured on plastic but not when in contact with type-IV collagen. Thus we conclude that heparin has an inhibitory effect on IL-6 secretion by MCs that is prevented by type-IV collagen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Geneva University Hospital, Switzerland.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Benador
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Girardin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005920:Glomerular Mesangium / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006493:Heparin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D006493:Heparin; D003094:Collagen