Traumatic injury induces interleukin-6 production by human astrocytes. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • The brain is being evaluated as a de novo source of cytokines. Because recent evidence indicates that interleukin-6 (IL-6) may influence blood-brain barrier function and vascular permeability, we have sought to determine whether mechanical injury can directly induce in situ cerebral IL-6 production. Adult human astrocyte cultures were subjected to mechanical injury by the in vitro method of fluid percussion barotrauma, developed in our laboratory. Serial supernatant samples were collected for 8 h and evaluated for IL-6 activity using a proliferation assay employing the dependent B cell hybridoma cell line, B9. At optimum injury, the IL-6 level became significantly (P < 0.0001, analysis of variance) elevated from baseline 2 h after trauma and continued to increase over the observation period. Our study shows that following mechanical injury human astrocytes produce IL-6, which may contribute to post-traumatic cerebrovascular dysfunction. Elucidating the precise role of intracerebral cytokines is essential to our understanding of the mechanism responsible for post-traumatic cerebrovascular dysfunction.

publication date

  • February 4, 1994

Research

keywords

  • Astrocytes
  • Brain Injuries
  • Interleukin-6

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0028057750

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1016/0006-8993(94)90188-0

PubMed ID

  • 8156401

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 636

issue

  • 1