Production of tumor necrosis factor and other cytokines by astrocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide or a neurotropic virus.
- 1 August 1989
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Vol. 86 (16) , 6348-6352
- https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.86.16.6348
Abstract
Rat astrocytes, immunologically competent glial cells of the central nervous system (CNS), released a variety of cytokines after activation. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated astrocytes produced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) as demonstrated by Northern blot analysis using a mouse TNF probe and by functional assay. Biological activity of rat astrocyte-derived TNF was neutralized by rabbit antiserum against recombinant murine TNF. Stimulation of astrocytes by lipopolysaccharide also activated the interleukin 1 and interleukin 6 genes. We have also investigated whether a neurotropic paramyxovirus, Newcastle disease virus, triggers cytokine production by astrocytes. This virus induced astrocytes to produce TNF, lymphotoxin, interleukin 6, and .alpha.- and .beta.-interferons. Thus, stimulation by endotoxin and virus activated distinct, yet overlapping, sets of cytokine genes. We propose that astrocytes and the cytokines they produce may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of immunologically and/or virally mediated CNS disease, in CNS intercellular communication, and in the interactions between the nervous and immune systems.This publication has 41 references indexed in Scilit:
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