title: Interleukin-18 displays effects opposite to those of interleukin-1 in the regulation of neuroendocrine stress axis.
abstract: The effects of interleukin-18 (IL-18), a putative member of the IL-1 family, were investigated on basal and stimulated release of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and prostanoids from rat hypothalamic explants and glial cells in vitro. We found that IL-18 decreases basal and KCl-stimulated CRH release from the hypothalamus. IL-18 also reduced CRH gene expression after 1- and 3-h incubation. The cytokine did not modify basal PGE2 production by hypothalamic explants but abolished production stimulated by IL-1beta. Similar effects were also observed on cultured glial cells. The present findings show that IL-18 possesses a profile of in vitro neuroendocrine activities opposing to, and even antagonizing, those of IL-1beta.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology, Catholic University School Medicine, Largo Francesco Vito 1-00168, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tringali
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pozzoli
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vairano
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mores
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Preziosi
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Navarra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000502:physiology; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D017628:Microglia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D020382:Interleukin-18; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone; D015232:Dinoprostone