title: [Interleukin-6 prevents cultured cerebellar granule neurons from glutamate-induced neurotoxicity].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore IL-6 neuroprotection against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity and primary mechanisms involved in this neuroprotection.
  
  
  METHODS
  The cerebellar granule neurons from postnatal 8-day infant rats were chronically exposed to IL-6 for 8 days, and then glutamate stimulated the cultured cerebellar granule neurons for 15 min. Methyl-thiazole-tetrazolium (MTT) assay and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method were used to observe the changes of neuronal vitality and apoptosis, respectively. Laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were respectively employed to measure dynamic changes of intracellular Ca2+ levels and expression of gp130 mRNA, a 130-kDa intracellular IL-6 signal-transduction protein, in the neurons.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The chronic IL-6 (2.5, 5 and 10 ng/ml) pretreatment of the cultured cerebellar granule neurons remarkably improved the decreased neuronal vitality by glutamate in a concentration-dependent manner. The neuronal apoptosis induced by glutamate was significantly attenuated by the chronic IL-6 pretreatment. The intracellular Ca2+ overload evoked by glutamate was also inhibited by the chronic IL-6 pretreatment. The expression of gp130 mRNA was dramatically lower in the IL-6-pretreated cerebellar granule neurons than in the IL-6-untreated neurons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-6 can protect neurons against glutamate-induced exciting neurotoxicity. The mechanism of IL-6 neuroprotection may be closely related to the suppression of glutamate-induced intracellular Ca2+ overload and mediated by gp130 intracellular signal transduction pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China.
authors.forename: Jian-hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yi-hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Yu-ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000633:toxicity*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D018698:Glutamic Acid