Turnour necrosis factor stimulates endothelin-1 gene expression in cultured bovine endothelial cells.
We have studied the effect of human recombinant tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on gene expression and production of endothelin-1 in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells. TNF-alpha (10 and 100 ng ml(-1)) increased in a time dependent manner the preproendothelin-1 mRNA levels in respect to unstimulated endothelial cells. TNF-alpha induced endothelin-1 gene expression was associated with a parallel increase in the release of the corresponding peptide in the culture medium. These findings suggest that the enhanced synthesis and release of endothelin-1 occurring in conditions of increased generation of TNF, may act as a modulatory factor that counteracts the hypotensive effect and the excessive platelet aggregation and adhesion induced by TNF.
Orisio
S
S
Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research Via Gavazzeni 11 Ospedali Riuniti di Bergamo Bergamo 24100 Italy.
Morigi
M
M
Zoja
C
C
Perico
N
N
Remuzzi
G
G