title: Zaprinast, an inhibitor of cGMP-selective phosphodiesterases, enhances the secretion of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta and the expression of iNOS and MHC class II molecules in rat microglial cells.
abstract: Proinflammatory cytokines produced by activated glial cells may in turn augment the immune/inflammatory reactions of glial cells through autocrine and paracrine routes. The NO/cGMP signaling represents one of the reactions of activated glial cells. We investigated whether the production of proinflammatory cytokines by glial cells is affected by NO-dependent downstream cGMP signaling. In primary cultures of mixed astrocytes and microglial cells, zaprinast (0.1 mM), an inhibitor of cGMP-selective phosphodiesterases, enhanced the basal and LPS (1.0 microg/ml)-induced secretion of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta. Zaprinast also enhanced NO production induced by LPS or IFN-gamma (100 U/ml), and in microglial cell cultures, but not in astrocyte cultures, zaprinast enhanced the basal and the IFN-gamma-induced production of the cytokines, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, and of NO. This upregulation by zaprinast was partially inhibited by KT5823 (1.0 microM), an inhibitor of protein kinase G. The LPS-induced production of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and NO was inhibited by ODQ (50 microM), an inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase, and by KT5823. Immunohistochemical analysis of mixed glial cell cultures showed that LPS/IFN-gamma-induced iNOS expression and the enhanced expression of iNOS by zaprinast were restricted to microglial cells. Zaprinast enhanced the IFN-gamma (200 U/ml)-induced expression of MHC Class II molecules in astrocytes and microglial cells in mixed cultures, but did not enhance this IFN-gamma-induced expression in pure astrocytes, which lacked paracrine TNF-alpha from microglial cells. Summarizing, zaprinast, which is associated with cGMP/protein kinase G signaling, may augment central immune/inflammatory reactions, possibly via the increased production of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta by activated microglial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Korea University College of Medicine, Sungbuk-Gu, Seoul, South Korea. shchoi@korea.ac.kr
authors.forename: Sang-Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Dong-Hee
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Kwang-Seon
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Kyung-Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Boe-Gwun
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Chun
mesh_terms: D015106:3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D017628:Microglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D009573:Nitrites / Q000032:analysis; D011688:Purinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007375:Interleukin-1; D009573:Nitrites; D011688:Purinones; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; D015106:3',5'-Cyclic-GMP Phosphodiesterases; C011145:zaprinast; D006152:Cyclic GMP