Interleukin-1β stimulates galectin-9 expression in human... : NeuroReport (original) (raw)

Neurochemistry

Yoshida, HidemiCA; Imaizumi, Tadaatsu; Kumagai, Mika; Kimura, Kazuyuki; Satoh, Chikako; Hanada, Naoyuki; Fujimoto, Koji; Nishi, Nozomu1; Tanji, Kunikazu2; Matsumiya, Tomoh3; Mori, Fumiaki2; Cui, Xue-Fan; Tamo, Wakako; Shibata, Takeo; Takanashi, Shingo4; Okumura, Ken4; Nakamura, Takanori1; Wakabayashi, Koichi2; Hirashima, Mitsuomi5; Sato, Yoshihiro6; Satoh, Kei

Departments of Vascular Biology, 2Molecular Biology, and 6Rehabilitation Medicine, Institute of Brain Science; 3Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery and 4The Second Department of Internal Medicine, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, 5 Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki 036-8562, Japan; 5Departments of Immunology and Immunopathology, and 1Endocrinology, Kagawa Medical School, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan

CACorresponding Author

Received 8 August 2001; accepted 20 September 2001

Abstract

Galectin-9 is an eosinophil chemoattractant produced by activated T lymphocytes. We have addressed expression of galectin-9 in normal human astrocytes in culture. Expression of galectin-9 mRNA and protein were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunofluorescent staining. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) was found to enhance the galectin-9 expression in time- and concentration-dependent manners. Galectin-9 protein was detected in the membrane fraction, 105 000 ×**g** precipitate, and immunofluorescent staining revealed diffuse cellular and perinuclear distributions. Dexamethasone pretreatment almost completely suppressed the production. We conclude that astrocytes produce galectin-9 in response to the stimulation with IL-1β, and this may contribute to inflammatory reactions in the CNS.