Interleukin-6 production by brain tissue and cultured astrocytes infected with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus

✍ Scribed by Nazario Rubio; Angeles Sierra

• Book ID: 102845845
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 679 KB
• Volume: 9
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0894-1491
• DOI: 10.1002/glia.440090106

✦ Synopsis

Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) is known to interact with cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Here we report that, interestingly, it is a potent inductor of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the CNS of infected animals and in pure cultures of astrocytes. Maximal IL-6 gene transcription in glial cells, as detected by bioassay and ELISA, was observed at 6 and 24 h after infection. Astrocytes from both SJUJ and Balblc (strains of mice susceptible and resistant, respectively, to TMEVinduced demyelination) produced similar amounts of IL-6, measured in tissue culture supernatants. These results indicate that although an immunomodulatory effect can be exercised by IL-6 synthesized by astrocytes, it does not play a crucial role in immunemediated demyelination induced by TMEV. o 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.