title: Asbestos stimulation triggers differential cytokine release from human monocytes and alveolar macrophages.
abstract: Inhalation of asbestos fibers results in a variety of lung diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis. Various animal models have demonstrated the importance of cytokines in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. Alveolar macrophages from patients exposed to asbestos spontaneously release increased amounts of cytokines. The purpose of these studies was to determine whether asbestos directly stimulates cytokine release from human alveolar macrophages after in vitro exposure. We demonstrate that, although asbestos triggers cytokine release from blood monocytes, normal alveolar macrophages do not respond to asbestos stimulation with cytokine release. However, normal alveolar macrophages are activated by asbestos particles, in vitro, as determined by the upregulation of mRNAs for cytokines, and activation of the p38 kinase, which has been shown to be important in the translation of cytokine message into protein. These studies demonstrate that asbestos stimulates both normal blood monocytes and normal alveolar macrophages, but that there is a block in translation of cytokine mRNAs in the macrophages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City 52242, USA. lois-geist@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Geist
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Powers
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Monick
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Hunninghake
mesh_terms: D001194:Asbestos / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D016207:Cytokines / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D001194:Asbestos; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases