The cytokine network of wallerian degeneration: IL-10 and GM-CSF.
Wallerian degeneration (WD) is the inflammatory response of peripheral nerves to injury. Evidence is provided that granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) contributes to the initiation and progression of WD by activating macrophages and Schwann, whereas IL-10 down-regulates WD by inhibiting GM-CSF production. A significant role of activated macrophages and Schwann for future regeneration is myelin removal by phagocytosis and degradation. We studied the timing and magnitude of GM-CSF and IL-10 production, macrophage and Schwann activation, and myelin degradation in C57BL/6NHSD and C57BL/6-WLD/OLA/NHSD mice that display normal rapid-WD and abnormal slow-WD, respectively. We observed the following events in rapid-WD. The onset of GM-CSF production is within 5 h after injury. Production is steadily augmented during the first 3 days, but is attenuated thereafter. The onset of production of the macrophage and Schwann activation marker Galectin-3/MAC-2 succeeds that of GM-CSF. Galectin-3/MAC-2 production is up-regulated during the first 6 days, but is down-regulated thereafter. The onset of myelin degradation succeeds that of Galectin-3/MAC-2, and is almost complete within 1 week. IL-10 production displays two phases. An immediate low followed by a high that begins on the fourth day, reaching highest levels on the seventh. The timing and magnitude of GM-CSF production thus enable the rapid activation of macrophages and Schwann that consequently phagocytose and degrade myelin. The timing and magnitude of IL-10 production suggest a role in down-regulating WD after myelin is removed. In contrast, slow-WD nerves produce low inefficient levels of GM-CSF and IL-10 throughout. Therefore, deficient IL-10 levels cannot account for inefficient GM-CSF production, whereas deficient GM-CSF levels may account, in part, for slow-WD.
Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, POB 12272, Jerusalem 91120, Israel.
H
H
Be'eri
F
F
Reichert
A
A
Saada
S
S
Rotshenker
D000818:Animals; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019771:Axotomy; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D037502:Galectin 3; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014855:Wallerian Degeneration / Q000378:metabolism*
D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D037502:Galectin 3; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016753:Interleukin-10; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor