title: Interferon-beta protects astrocytes against tumour necrosis factor-induced apoptosis via activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase.
abstract: Several large clinical trials have demonstrated that interferon-beta (IFN-beta) therapy is effective in the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. However, the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of IFN-beta are not fully understood. Most of the effort in the study of the relevant mechanisms of IFN-beta has dealt with its immunomodulatory actions. However, the beneficial effects of IFN-beta in MS patients may also depend on non-immune mechanisms, including the modulation of astrocyte function. In the present work, we have found that IFN-beta treatment protects astrocytes against tumour necrosis factor-induced apoptosis via activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. We propose that this effect may be of importance to protect astrocytes against apoptosis within the demyelinated plaques of the MS.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisioloxía, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Barca
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Costoya
authors.forename: Rosa M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Señarís
authors.forename: Víctor M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Arce
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000378:metabolism*; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016899:Interferon-beta; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases