title: Dual effects of noradrenaline on astroglial production of chemokines and pro-inflammatory mediators.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Noradrenaline (NA) is known to limit neuroinflammation. However, the previously described induction by NA of a chemokine involved in the progression of immune/inflammatory processes, such as chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2)/monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), apparently contradicts NA anti-inflammatory actions. In the current study we analyzed NA regulation of astroglial chemokine (C-X3-C motif) ligand 1 (CX3CL1), also known as fractalkine, another chemokine to which both neuroprotective and neurodegenerative actions have been attributed. In addition, NA effects on other chemokines and pro-inflammatory mediators were also analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary astrocyte-enriched cultures were obtained from neonatal Wistar rats. These cells were incubated for different time durations with combinations of NA and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The expression and synthesis of different proteins was measured by RT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or enzyme immunoassays. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Newman-Keuls multiple comparison tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data presented here show that in control conditions, NA induces the production of CX3CL1 in rat cultured astrocytes, but in the presence of an inflammatory stimulus, such as LPS, NA has the opposite effect inhibiting CX3CL1 production. This inversion of NA effect was also observed for MCP-1. Based on the observation of this dual action, NA regulation of different chemokines and pro-inflammatory cytokines was also analyzed, observing that in most cases NA exerts an inhibitory effect in the presence of LPS. One characteristic exception was the induction of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), where a summative effect was detected for both LPS and NA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that NA effects on astrocytes can adapt to the presence of an inflammatory agent reducing the production of certain cytokines, while in basal conditions NA may have the opposite effect and help to maintain moderate levels of these cytokines.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre, Avenida Complutense s/n, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ara E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hinojosa
authors.forename: Javier R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Caso
authors.forename: Borja
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: García-Bueno
authors.forename: Juan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Leza
authors.forename: José L M
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Madrigal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D018925:Chemokines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D018925:Chemokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D009638:Norepinephrine