Regulation of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 production in an amnion-derived cell line by cytokines, growth factors, glucocorticoids, and phorbol esters.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether amnion cells produce interleukin (IL)-6 and -8 and thus may contribute to the high concentrations of these cytokines in amniotic fluid at term.


METHODS
Amnion-derived WISH cells were treated in culture with stimuli over 16 hr, and IL-6 and IL-8 concentrations in the conditioned media were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or bioassay (IL-6 only).


RESULTS
IL-8 production was approximately 5-fold higher than that of IL-6 under basal and stimulated conditions. Significant (by Dunnett's test after analysis of variance) stimulation of production of both cytokines was achieved by IL-1 beta (> 0.2 ng/ml), TNF alpha (> 10 ng/ml), and the phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (> 2 nM), over a 16-hr culture period. Epidermal growth factor at 10 ng/ml induced a small increase in production of IL-8, but not of IL-6, whereas bacterial lipopolysaccharide had minimal effects on production of either cytokine. Basal and cytokine-stimulated IL-6 and IL-8 production was inhibited by dexamethasone at concentrations equal to or greater than 1 nM.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that amnion may be a significant contributor to the IL-6 and IL-8 content of amniotic fluid, and that WISH cells may be a suitable model for the study of cytokine production by amnion epithelial cells.
Keelan
J A
JA
Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Sato
T
T
Mitchell
M D
MD
D000650:Amnion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D011247:Pregnancy; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D003907:Dexamethasone; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate