Modulation of the transcripts for tumor necrosis factor‐α and its receptors in vivo

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We investigated the effects of a single bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection in vivo on the gene expression of tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF) and its receptors: TNF receptor type I (TNF‐R 55 kDa or TNF‐R1) and TNF receptor type II (TNF‐R 75 kDa or TNF‐R2) in various tissues and white blood cells. While TNF mRNA rapidly accumulated in most tissues, TNF‐R1 and TNF‐R2 mRNA levels were found to be differentially regulated in lung, spleen, lymph nodes and white blood cells. In most cases, TNF‐R mRNA levels did not parallel TNF mRNA levels. These observations indicate that TNF‐R of both types are capable of modulating the host response to LPS, not only by shedding of their extracellular domains, but also by strict regulation of their gene expression.