Activin as an anti-inflammatory cytokine produced by microglia.
The main objective of the present study was to determine if activin might inhibit microglial activation. In murine MG6 microglial cell cultures, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation of these cells was mitigated by pretreatment with activin as assessed by compromised up-regulation of proinflammatory markers, including IL-18, IL-6 and iNOS. The suppressive effects of activin on microglial activation were similarly observed in rat brains administered with LPS into the lateral ventricle. The expression of activin mRNA was induced by treatment with LPS in both cell cultures and brains. Thus, activin might act as an anti-inflammatory cytokine produced by microglia, presumably modulating inflammation through an autocrine fashion.
Sugama
Shuei
S
Department of Physiology, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8526, Japan. sugama@nms.ac.jp
Takenouchi
Takato
T
Kitani
Hiroshi
H
Fujita
Masayo
M
Hashimoto
Makoto
M
D028341:Activins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D039481:CD11b Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D020547:Lateral Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000378:metabolism
D039481:CD11b Antigen; D016207:Cytokines; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D028341:Activins; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II