Abstract
IL-4 is a Th2-derived cytokine which plays an important role in the function of various immunocompetent cells as well as in the pathophysiology of various CNS disorders. In this study we characterized the expression of IL-4R in cultured astrocytes and explored the effects of IL-4 on the function of these cells. We found that astrocytes express the mRNA of both the membrane-bound and the soluble forms of the IL-4R, whereas they do not secrete IL-4. IL-4 inhibited both NO production and iNOS expression induced by LPS stimulation and decreased the Secretion of TNF-α and the expression of ICAM-1. In contrast, IL-4 induced the secretion of NGF by astrocytes and synergized with LPS and TNF-α in this effect. These results suggest an important role for IL-4 as an immunosuppressive and a neurotrophic factor in the CNS.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 20-30 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Neuroimmunology |
| Volume | 81 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1998 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We wish to thank Alexander Tsukerman for technical help and Avrille Goldreich for the skillful preparation of the manuscript. This study was supported in part by grant No. 3980 from the Chief Scientist Office of Ministry of the Health, Israel.
Funding
We wish to thank Alexander Tsukerman for technical help and Avrille Goldreich for the skillful preparation of the manuscript. This study was supported in part by grant No. 3980 from the Chief Scientist Office of Ministry of the Health, Israel.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Health, State of Israel |
Keywords
- ICAM-1
- IL-4
- Inflammation
- LPS
- NGF
- Nitric oxide
- TNF-α