Abstract
The α 2 -macroglobulin (α 2 M), a protease inhibitor, is a major acute-phase protein in rats, and is produced in the liver during acute inflammation. Recently, it has been demonstrated that α 2 M is also produced by cultured astrocytes from newborn rat brain and has neurite-promoting activity. Here, we found that the expression of the α 2 M gene was significantly enhanced in the brain following intraperitoneal injection of the neurotoxicant, kainic acid (KA), suggesting that α 2 M acts as an acute-phase protein in the brain, as in the case of the liver, and may be involved in neural repair processes. Expression of α 2 M in cultured astrocytes was shown to be stimulated by interleukin-6 (IL-6) and/or leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in the presence of glucocorticoid. The amount of mRNAs for IL-6 and LIF increased in the brain of KA-injected rats prior to α 2 M induction. These results strongly suggested that IL-6 and LIF are involved in α 2 M induction in the brain, as in the case of the liver. Analysis of the cis-acting element(s) and the trans-acting factor(s) suggested that the regulatory mechanism for α 2 M expression in astrocytes was similar to that in inflamed liver.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 155-162 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Gene |
| Volume | 141 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 20 1994 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Genetics
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Expression of the α 2 -macroglobulin-encoding gene in rat brain and cultured astrocytes . / Higuchi, Masakazu; Ito, Takashi; Imai, Yoshinori; Iwaki, Toru; Hattori, Masahira; Kohsaka, Shinichi; Niho, Yoshiyuki; Sakaki, Yoshiyuki.
In: Gene, Vol. 141, No. 2, 20.04.1994, p. 155-162.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Expression of the α 2 -macroglobulin-encoding gene in rat brain and cultured astrocytes
AU - Higuchi, Masakazu
AU - Ito, Takashi
AU - Imai, Yoshinori
AU - Iwaki, Toru
AU - Hattori, Masahira
AU - Kohsaka, Shinichi
AU - Niho, Yoshiyuki
AU - Sakaki, Yoshiyuki
PY - 1994/4/20
Y1 - 1994/4/20
N2 - The α 2 -macroglobulin (α 2 M), a protease inhibitor, is a major acute-phase protein in rats, and is produced in the liver during acute inflammation. Recently, it has been demonstrated that α 2 M is also produced by cultured astrocytes from newborn rat brain and has neurite-promoting activity. Here, we found that the expression of the α 2 M gene was significantly enhanced in the brain following intraperitoneal injection of the neurotoxicant, kainic acid (KA), suggesting that α 2 M acts as an acute-phase protein in the brain, as in the case of the liver, and may be involved in neural repair processes. Expression of α 2 M in cultured astrocytes was shown to be stimulated by interleukin-6 (IL-6) and/or leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in the presence of glucocorticoid. The amount of mRNAs for IL-6 and LIF increased in the brain of KA-injected rats prior to α 2 M induction. These results strongly suggested that IL-6 and LIF are involved in α 2 M induction in the brain, as in the case of the liver. Analysis of the cis-acting element(s) and the trans-acting factor(s) suggested that the regulatory mechanism for α 2 M expression in astrocytes was similar to that in inflamed liver.
AB - The α 2 -macroglobulin (α 2 M), a protease inhibitor, is a major acute-phase protein in rats, and is produced in the liver during acute inflammation. Recently, it has been demonstrated that α 2 M is also produced by cultured astrocytes from newborn rat brain and has neurite-promoting activity. Here, we found that the expression of the α 2 M gene was significantly enhanced in the brain following intraperitoneal injection of the neurotoxicant, kainic acid (KA), suggesting that α 2 M acts as an acute-phase protein in the brain, as in the case of the liver, and may be involved in neural repair processes. Expression of α 2 M in cultured astrocytes was shown to be stimulated by interleukin-6 (IL-6) and/or leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in the presence of glucocorticoid. The amount of mRNAs for IL-6 and LIF increased in the brain of KA-injected rats prior to α 2 M induction. These results strongly suggested that IL-6 and LIF are involved in α 2 M induction in the brain, as in the case of the liver. Analysis of the cis-acting element(s) and the trans-acting factor(s) suggested that the regulatory mechanism for α 2 M expression in astrocytes was similar to that in inflamed liver.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0028181690&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0028181690&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0378-1119(94)90565-7
DO - 10.1016/0378-1119(94)90565-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 7512938
AN - SCOPUS:0028181690
VL - 141
SP - 155
EP - 162
JO - Gene
JF - Gene
SN - 0378-1119
IS - 2
ER -