title: Microglial cells and peritoneal macrophages release activin A upon stimulation with Toll-like receptor agonists.
abstract: Activin A levels are elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with meningitis and in the sera of patients with sepsis. The source(s) of the elevated concentrations of activin A in CSF and serum have not yet been discovered. Here we demonstrate that primary mouse microglial cells and peritoneal macrophages release activin A after treatment with agonists of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2, 4, and 9. These findings provide further evidence for a role of activin in the innate immune response and suggest that microglial cells and macrophages are a source of elevated activin A concentrations observed in the CSF during bacterial meningitis and in the systemic circulation during sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Street 40, 37075 Göttingen, Germany. sebert1@gwdg.de
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ebert
authors.forename: Moritz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zeretzke
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nau
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Michel
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003521:Cyclopropanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D006151:Guanosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000819:agonists* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003521:Cyclopropanes; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D008074:Lipoproteins; C508012:N2-cyclopropylamine-guanosine; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; C422405:activin A; D028341:Activins; C061108:N-palmitoyl-S-(2,3-bis(palmitoyloxy)propyl)cysteinyl-seryl-lysyl-lysyl-lysyl-lysine; D006151:Guanosine