TGF-β1 and IL-6 expression in rat pineal gland is regulated by norepinephrine and interleukin-1β

• Tsai, S.-Y. ^[3] ; Schluns, K. S. ^[1] ; Le, P. T. ^[2] ; McNulty, J. A. ^[2]
  1. [1] University of Connecticut

     University of Connecticut

     Town of Mansfield, Estados Unidos

     
  2. [2] Loyola University Medical Center

     Loyola University Medical Center

     Township of Proviso, Estados Unidos

     
  3. [3] Research Service. Hines VA Hospital, Hines, IL, USA

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• Localización: Histology and histopathology: cellular and molecular biology, ISSN-e 1699-5848, ISSN 0213-3911, Vol. 16, Nº. 4, 2001, págs. 1135-1141
• Idioma: inglés
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  • The pineal gland is part of th e ne uroendocrine syste m that modulates immune functions. Because the gland is outside the blood-brain barrier, il is accessible to direct feedback from c ircula ting cytokines that a ffect the synthesis and secretion of melatonin. Recent studies have s uggested that intrinsic immunoregulatory cytokines mediate these neuro-immune inte ra c ti o ns under th e contro l of sympathetic innervation to the pineal. This study focused on the expressio n of tr a nsforming growth factor-f31 (TGF-ß1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), two cytokines that have important regulatory functions on both neurons and immune cells. Northern blot RNA analysis showed that TGF-f3l, but not IL-6, was expressed in freshly dissected rat pineal g lands from neonata l age (l-day-old) into adults. Immunocytoche mistry for TGF-B1 in adult glands revealed localization of this protein in astrocyte-like cells. The sympa th e tic ne ur o tr a nsmitte r norepinephrine (NE) increased transcript levels for both TGF-ß1and IL-6 in adult pineal organ cultures. The effect of NE o n I L-6 expressio n was not found in dispersed cell cultures es tablis hed from neonatal pineal glands. T he immunoregulatory molecule interle ukin-l/3 (IL-ß1) up-regulated the expression of both IL-6 and TGF-ß1 in adult pineal organ cultures, but not in neonate pineal organ cultures. These findings suggest that TGF-ß1 and IL-6 have intrinsic regulatory roles in the pinea l g land and that both ne ur a l and immune factors are important mec hanisms of regulation.