title: Anti-inflammatory effect of retinoic acid on prostaglandin synthesis in cultured cortical astrocytes.
abstract: Prostanoids are important mediators of inflammation and pain signaling. Although it is now well accepted that astrocytes participate in inflammatory reactions in the CNS, the molecular regulation of this activity is still largely unknown. Specifically, the regulation of prostanoid synthesis by this type of glia remains to be resolved. Recent evidence suggests that the transcriptional regulator retinoic acid (RA) is involved in regulation of the immune response. We have investigated the expression pattern of the enzymes that catalyze prostanoid and leukotriene synthesis in cultured cortical astrocytes, their stimulation by lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and their regulation by RA. The data indicate that astrocytes are an important source of prostaglandins (PGs) and that RA reduces their inflammatory biosynthesis. LPS treatment induced the expression of enzymes for the production of arachidonic acid and PGs but caused down-regulation of a PG degrading enzyme and of leukotriene synthesizing enzymes that compete with PG synthesis. Consequently, the secretion of the PGE(2) was highly increased after LPS exposure. RA counteracted the inflammatory regulation of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 mRNA and protein in astrocytes and thereby reduced the synthesis of PGE(2) by approximately 60%. In the absence of LPS, RA enhanced the expression of COX-1 mRNA. In conclusion, RA might be effective in suppressing inflammatory processes in the brain by inhibiting PG synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Biologie II, RWTH Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kampmann
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johann
authors.forename: Sabien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Neerven
authors.forename: Cordian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Beyer
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D004798:Enzymes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005911:Gliosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000494:pharmacology; D015289:Leukotrienes / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004798:Enzymes; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015289:Leukotrienes; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011453:Prostaglandins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014212:Tretinoin; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D015232:Dinoprostone