title: Leukemia inhibitory factor is an anti-inflammatory and analgesic cytokine.
abstract: The mRNA for leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), a neuroimmune signaling molecule, is elevated during skin inflammation produced by intraplantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Moreover, although LIF knock-out mice display normal sensitivity to cutaneous mechanical and thermal stimulation compared with wild-type mice, the degree of CFA-induced inflammation in mice lacking LIF is enhanced in spatial extent, amplitude, cellular infiltrate, and interleukin (IL)-1beta and nerve growth factor (NGF) expression. Conversely, local injection of low doses of recombinant LIF diminishes mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity as well as the IL-1beta and NGF expression induced by CFA. These data show that upregulation of LIF during peripheral inflammation serves a key, early anti-inflammatory role and that exogenous LIF can reduce inflammatory hyperalgesia.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Banner
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Allchorne
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Poole
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Woolf
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; C507838:Lif protein, mouse; D008222:Lymphokines; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant