title: Investigation of caspase-1 activity and interleukin-1β production in murine macrophage cell lines infected with Leishmania major.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the caspase-1 dependent inflammatory pathway activity and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) secretion in murine macrophage cell lines J774G8 infected with Leishmania major (L. major) using caspase-1 activity assay and ELISA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Novy-MacNeal-Nicolle biphasic medium was applied to produce promastigote form of L. major. Metacyclic promastigotes in the stationary phase were applied to infect macrophage. Caspase-1 activity and IL-1β secretion were assessed by the CPP32/caspase-1 fluorometric protease assay and ELISA IL-1β kits, respectively, with time intervals of 6, 18 and 30 h.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our study showed an increase in caspase-1 activity and IL-1β secretion in infected samples compared to non-infected macrophages. The highest increase in IL-1β production was observed after 6 h of infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results arise that the activation of inflammasome pathway could be one of the innate immunity pathways against L. major.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine & Genetic, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamedan, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza Mahmoudian
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Sani
authors.affiliation: Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrdad Moosazadeh
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Moghaddam
authors.affiliation: Young Researchers and Elites Club, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aghamollaei
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran.
authors.forename: Kazem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hassanpour
authors.affiliation: Nanobiotechnology Research Centre, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ramezan Ali
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Taheri
authors.affiliation: Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: rzfarnoosh@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Farnoosh
keywords: Caspase-1 activity; Interleukin-1β; Leishmania major; Macrophage