Production of mice deficient in genes for interleukin (IL)-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-1alpha/beta, and IL-1 receptor antagonist shows that IL-1beta is crucial in turpentine-induced fever development and glucocorticoid secretion

Arterial inflammation in mice lacking the interleukin 1 receptor antagonist gene

Branch points and flexures in the high pressure arterial system have long been recognized as sites of unusually high turbulence and consequent stress in humans are foci for atherosclerotic lesions. We show that mice that are homozygous for a null mutation in the gene encoding an endogenous antiinflammatory cytokine, interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), develop lethal arterial inflammation involving branch points and flexures of the aorta and its primary and secondary branches. We observe massive transmural infiltration of neutrophils, macrophages, and CD4(+) T cells. Animals appear to die from vessel wall collapse, stenosis, and organ infarction or from hemorrhage from ruptured aneurysms. Heterozygotes do not die from arteritis within a year of birth but do develop small lesions, which suggests that a reduced level of IL-1ra is insufficient to fully control inflammation in arteries. Our results demonstrate a surprisingly specific role for IL-1ra in the control of spontaneous inflammation in constitutively stressed artery walls, suggesting that expression of IL-1 is likely to have a significant role in signaling artery wall damage.

An essential role of interleukin-1beta in mediating NF-kappaB activity and COX-2 transcription in cells of the blood-brain barrier in response to a systemic and localized inflammation but not during endotoxemia

When released into the bloodstream, proinflammatory cytokines have the ability to trigger the transcription of different genes in cells of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), including members of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) family and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the limiting enzyme for the formation of prostaglandins (PGs). The present study investigated the possibility that interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) plays an essential role in these events during a systemic inflammatory response. Both wild-type and IL-1beta-deficient mice were killed at different times after two different immunogenic stimuli, i.e., intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection and intramuscular turpentine injection, used here as a model of systemic localized inflammatory insult. The inhibitory factor kappaBalpha (IkappaBalpha, index of NF-kappaB activity) and COX-2 transcripts were detected throughout the brain by means of in situ hybridization. Systemic LPS injection caused a strong and rapid expression of IkappaBalpha in endothelial cells lining the BBB of large and small blood vessels and thereafter within parenchymal microglia across the brain. This treatment also provoked a transient expression of COX-2 along cells of the vascular system, and the expression pattern and intensity of the signal for both transcripts were essentially the same in wild-type and IL-1beta-deficient animals. In contrast, the induction of these genes that was quite selective to the cells of the BBB in response to intramuscularly turpentine insult was completely abolished in IL-1beta-deficient mice. Indeed, a late and prolonged expression of IkappaBalpha and COX-2 mRNAs was found along the cerebral blood vessels in response to the sterile and localized inflammation in wild-type mice, whereas such induction was absent in the brain of IL-1beta-deficient animals. These results indicate that IL-1beta has an obligatory role in the activation of NF-kappaB molecules and PGs within endothelial cells of the BBB in an experimental model of intramuscularly turpentine-induced inflammation but not during endotoxemia.

How the blood talks to the brain parenchyma and the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus during systemic inflammatory and infectious stimuli

There are exciting new developments regarding the molecular mechanisms involved in the influence of circulating proinflammatory molecules within cells of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) during systemic immune challenges. These molecules, when present in the circulation, have the ability to trigger a series of events in cascade, leading to either the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) or the janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) transduction pathways in vascular-associated cells of the central nervous system (CNS). The brain blood vessels exhibit both constitutive and induced expression of receptors for different proinflammatory ligands that have the ability to stimulate these signaling molecules. Depending on the challenges and the cytokines involved, the transduction signal(s) solicited in cells of the BBB may orient the neuronal activity in a very specific manner in activating the transcription and production of soluble factors, such as prostaglandins (PGs). It is interesting to note that cytokines as well as systemic localized inflammation stimulate the cells of the BBB in a nonselective manner (i.e., within both large blood vessels and small capillaries across the brain). This nonselectivity raises several questions with regard to the localized neuronal activation induced by different experimental models of inflammation and cytokines. It is possible that the selectivity of the neuronal response is a consequence of the fine interaction between nonparenchymal synthesis of soluble mediators and expression of specific receptors for these ligands within parenchymal elements of different brain nuclei. This review will present the recent developments on this concept and the mechanisms that take place in cells of the BBB, which lead to the neuronal circuits involved in restoring the body's homeostasis during systemic immunogenic challenges. The induction of fever, the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, and other autonomic functions are among the physiological outcomes necessary for the protection of the mammalian organism in the presence of foreign material.

An essential role of interleukin-1beta in mediating NF-kappaB activity and COX-2 transcription in cells of the blood-brain barrier in response to a systemic and localized inflammation but not during endotoxemia

When released into the bloodstream, proinflammatory cytokines have the ability to trigger the transcription of different genes in cells of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), including members of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) family and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the limiting enzyme for the formation of prostaglandins (PGs). The present study investigated the possibility that interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) plays an essential role in these events during a systemic inflammatory response. Both wild-type and IL-1beta-deficient mice were killed at different times after two different immunogenic stimuli, i.e., intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection and intramuscular turpentine injection, used here as a model of systemic localized inflammatory insult. The inhibitory factor kappaBalpha (IkappaBalpha, index of NF-kappaB activity) and COX-2 transcripts were detected throughout the brain by means of in situ hybridization. Systemic LPS injection caused a strong and rapid expression of IkappaBalpha in endothelial cells lining the BBB of large and small blood vessels and thereafter within parenchymal microglia across the brain. This treatment also provoked a transient expression of COX-2 along cells of the vascular system, and the expression pattern and intensity of the signal for both transcripts were essentially the same in wild-type and IL-1beta-deficient animals. In contrast, the induction of these genes that was quite selective to the cells of the BBB in response to intramuscularly turpentine insult was completely abolished in IL-1beta-deficient mice. Indeed, a late and prolonged expression of IkappaBalpha and COX-2 mRNAs was found along the cerebral blood vessels in response to the sterile and localized inflammation in wild-type mice, whereas such induction was absent in the brain of IL-1beta-deficient animals. These results indicate that IL-1beta has an obligatory role in the activation of NF-kappaB molecules and PGs within endothelial cells of the BBB in an experimental model of intramuscularly turpentine-induced inflammation but not during endotoxemia.

Hepatic acute phase induction of murine beta-galactoside alpha 2,6 sialyltransferase (ST6Gal I) is IL-6 dependent and mediated by elevation of exon H-containing class of transcripts

Hepatic expression of CMP-NeuAc:Gal beta 1,4GlcNAc alpha 2,6-sialyltransferase (ST6Gal I) is induced as part of the acute phase response in mammals by mechanisms that remain poorly understood. Previous work suggests that murine liver ST6Gal I mRNA contains an additional and novel region that is not found on ST6Gal I mRNA from human HepG2 hepatoma cells and from rat liver. This novel region, residing 5' of the common Exon I sequence, is encoded by a discrete upstream exon, Exon H. Here we provide evidence that the Exon H-containing transcript is the murine counterpart of the human and rat ST6Gal I mRNAs transcribed from the hepatic-specific promoter, P1. Exon H-containing ST6Gal I mRNA is expressed in all three mice strains examined: balb/c, C57B46, and 129Sv. Furthermore, murine RNA tissue survey indicates that presence of Exon H-containing transcripts is restricted to the liver. When mice are subjected to subcutaneous injection of turpentine to elicit the hepatic acute phase response, greater than 4-fold elevation in liver ST6Gal I mRNA was observed. Consistent with the view that Exon H-containing transcripts is regulated by the murine P1 promoter, 5'-RACE analysis indicates that the majority of these transcripts contains the Exon H sequence. This is consistent with the view that Exon H-containing transcripts are regulated by the murine P1 region. To assess the mechanism of ST6Gal I response in the hepatic acute phase reaction, mice harboring lesions in both alleles of the IL-6 gene were examined. IL-6(-/-) animals expressed normal levels of ST6Gal I mRNA in liver, with Exon H-containing transcripts remaining the predominant mRNA isoform. However, hepatic ST6Gal I is not elevated upon turpentine injection in the IL-6(-/-) animals. These results indicate that ST6Gal I induction in mouse liver during the acute phase reaction is mediated predominantly by the IL-6 pathway, and results in the induction of the Exon H-containing class of ST6Gal I mRNA that is specific to the liver.

alpha2-macroglobulin- and murinoglobulin-1- deficient mice. A mouse model for acute pancreatitis

Mice deficient in either or both mouse alpha2-macroglobulin (MAM) and murinoglobulin-1 (MUG1) were generated and proved phenotypically normal under standard conditions. Acute pancreatitis was induced with a diet deficient in choline and methionine, supplemented with ethionine. The mortality was less than 25% in wild-type mice, as opposed to at least 56% in knockout mice, and was highest (70%) in MAM-/- mice, with earliest onset at 2 days. Plasma amylase and lipase levels were increased, but pancreatic tissue appeared histologically variable in individual mice. The clinical symptoms were most severe in MAM-/- mice and, surprisingly, were not aggravated in the double knockout mice, suggesting that the lack of proteinase inhibition capacity was not the major problem. Therefore, we analyzed the expression of 21 different cytokines and polypeptide factors in the pancreas of all experimental groups of mice. Interleukin-1-receptor antagonist mRNA was consistently induced by the diet in the pancreas of MAM-/- mice, and transforming growth factor-beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, tumor necrosis factor-beta, beta-lymphotoxin, and interferon-gamma mRNA levels were also increased. The data demonstrate the important role of alpha2-macroglobulin (A2M) in acute pancreatitis as both a proteinase inhibitor and a cytokine carrier. Mice deficient in MAM and/or MUG thus offer new experimental models for defining in vivo the role of the macroglobulins in pancreatitis and in other normal and pathological processes.

Neuroglial activation repertoire in the injured brain: graded response, molecular mechanisms and cues to physiological function

Damage to the central nervous system (CNS) leads to cellular changes not only in the affected neurons but also in adjacent glial cells and endothelia, and frequently, to a recruitment of cells of the immune system. These cellular changes form a graded response which is a consistent feature in almost all forms of brain pathology. It appears to reflect an evolutionarily conserved program which plays an important role in the protection against infectious pathogens and the repair of the injured nervous system. Moreover, recent work in mice that are genetically deficient for different cytokines (MCSF, IL1, IL6, TNFalpha, TGFbeta1) has begun to shed light on the molecular signals that regulate this cellular response. Here we will review this work and the insights it provides about the biological function of the neuroglial activation in the injured brain.

Influence of polymorphism in the genes for the interleukin (IL)-1 receptor antagonist and IL-1beta on tuberculosis

Several lines of evidence suggest that host genetic factors controlling the immune response influence infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1beta and its antagonist, IL-1Ra (IL-1 receptor agonist), are strongly induced by M. tuberculosis and are encoded by polymorphic genes. The induction of both IL-1Ra mRNA and secreted protein by M. tuberculosis in IL-1Ra allele A2-positive (IL-1Ra A2(+)) healthy subjects was 1.9-fold higher than in IL-1Ra A2(-) subjects. The M. tuberculosis-induced expression of mRNA for IL-1beta was higher in subjects of the IL-1beta (+3953) A1(+) haplotype (P = 0.04). The molar ratio of IL-1Ra/IL-1beta induced by M. tuberculosis was markedly higher in IL-1Ra A2(+) individuals (P < 0.05), with minor overlap between the groups, reflecting linkage between the IL-1Ra A2 and IL-1beta (+3953) A2 alleles. In M. tuberculosis-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, the addition of IL-4 increased IL-1Ra secretion, whereas interferon gamma increased and IL-10 decreased IL-1beta production, indicative of a differential influence on the IL-1Ra/IL-1beta ratio by cytokines. In a study of 114 healthy purified protein derivative-reactive subjects and 89 patients with tuberculosis, the frequency of allelic variants at two positions (-511 and +3953) in the IL-1beta and IL-1Ra genes did not differ between the groups. However, the proinflammatory IL-1Ra A2(-)/IL-1beta (+3953) A1(+) haplotype was unevenly distributed, being more common in patients with tuberculous pleurisy (92%) in comparison with healthy M. tuberculosis-sensitized control subjects or patients with other disease forms (57%, P = 0.028 and 56%, P = 0. 024, respectively). Furthermore, the IL-1Ra A2(+) haplotype was associated with a reduced Mantoux response to purified protein derivative of M. tuberculosis: 60% of tuberculin-nonreactive patients were of this type. Thus, the polymorphism at the IL-1 locus influences the cytokine response and may be a determinant of delayed-type hypersensitivity and disease expression in human tuberculosis.

Soluble Murine IL-1 Receptor Type I Induces Release of Constitutive IL-1α

IL-1α and IL-1β are proinflammatory cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of many infectious and noninfectious inflammatory diseases. To reduce IL-1 toxicity, extracellular domains of the soluble (s) IL-1R are shed from cell membranes and prevent triggering of cell-bound receptors. We investigated to what extent murine sIL-1RI can neutralize the IL-1 produced by LPS-stimulated macrophages. When mouse peritoneal macrophages were incubated with LPS, addition of sIL-1RI significantly inhibited the bioactivity of IL-1. Stimulation of cells with sIL-1RI alone induced no bioactive IL-1. When immunoreactive cytokine concentrations were measured with specific radioimmunoassays, sIL-1RI alone appeared to induce a significant release of IL-1α in a concentration-dependent manner. This effect was independent of new protein synthesis. The production of IL-1β or TNF-α was not influenced by sIL-1RI. There was no interference of sIL-1RI with the IL-1α radioimmunoassay. In mice, an i.v. injection of sIL-RI alone induced a rapid release of IL-1α, but not of TNF-α or IL-1β. Treatment of mice with sIL-1RI improved the survival during a lethal infection with Candida albicans. In conclusion, sIL-1RI induces a rapid release of IL-1α from cells, as well as into the systemic circulation. Although this IL-1α may be inactivated in circulation by the same sIL-1RI, this phenomenon probably has immunostimulatory effects at local levels where the sIL-1RI-induced IL-1α acts in a paracrine or autocrine manner.

Specification of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons in the vertebrate CNS

The early specification of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons during vertebrate CNS development relies on signals produced by a small number of organizing centers. Recent studies have characterized these early organizing centers, the manner in which they may be established, the inductive signals they produce, and candidate signaling systems that control the later development of the dopaminergic system.

Caspase 1-independent IL-1beta release and inflammation induced by the apoptosis inducer Fas ligand

Fas ligand is a well-characterized apoptosis inducer. Here we demonstrate that Fas ligand induces the processing and secretion of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) in peritoneal exudate cells. This IL-1beta secretion is independent of IL-1beta converting enzyme (caspase 1), yet it is inhibited by caspase inhibitors, indicating that a caspase(s) in addition to IL-1beta converting enzyme can process IL-1beta. Inoculation of tumor cells expressing Fas ligand into wild-type mice induces a massive neutrophil infiltration that is, in contrast, suppressed in IL-1alpha/beta knockout mice. These results demonstrate a newly discovered role for Fas ligand in inflammation, and challenge the dogma that apoptosis does not induce inflammation.

Interleukin-1

Interleukin 1 (IL1) is a primary regulator of inflammatory and immune responses. Via its type I receptor it activates specific protein kinases, including the NF kappa B inducing kinase (NIK) and three distinct mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascades. These modulate a number of transcription factors including NF kappa B, AP1 and CREB each of which regulate a plethora of immediate early genes central to the inflammatory response. Phase I clinical trials of the soluble type I receptor and IRAP indicate that these have potential anti-inflammatory effects.