Regulation of GDNF expression in cultured astrocytes by... : NeuroReport (original) (raw)

Glial Cells

Regulation of GDNF expression in cultured astrocytes by inflammatory stimuli

Appel, Elena1; Kolman, Ofer1; Kazimirsky, Gila1; Blumberg, Peter M.2; Brodie, Chaya1,2,3

1Department of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan Israel 52900

2MMTP, LCCTP, NCI, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA

3Corresponding Author and Address: Chaya Brodie, Department of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan Israel 52900

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: This research was supported in part by grant No. 726/96-1 from the Israel Science Foundation administered by the Israel Academy of Science and Humanities.

Website publication 29 September 1997

Received 9 June 1997; accepted 8 August 1997

Abstract

ASTROCYTES express increased levels of neurotrophic factors in response to pathological conditions in the CNS such as injury and inflammation. We have examined the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and inflammatory cytokines on the expression of GDNF by mouse astrocytes and by C6 glial cells. LPS and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) induced an increase in level of glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) mRNA in both cell types. Similarly, the synthesis of GDNF protein was increased by both treatments. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) induced similar effects on GDNF production, whereas IL-2 and IL-6 had no significant effects. These results indicate that the expression of GDNF in astrocytes is regulated by inflammatory stimuli and therefore may provide neurotrophic support to injured neurons in inflammatory conditions in the CNS.