Premium
Prolactin Induction of Nitric Oxide Synthase in Rat C6 Glioma Cells
Author(s) -
Raso Giuseppina Mattace,
Meli Rosaria,
Gualillo Oreste,
Pacilio Maria,
Carlo Raffaele Di
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1046/j.1471-4159.1999.0732272.x
Subject(s) - prolactin , nitric oxide synthase , nitric oxide , medicine , endocrinology , cell culture , stimulation , biology , cytokine , chemistry , hormone , genetics
: We have examined the neuroimmunoregulatory function of prolactin (PRL) on astrocytic inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in the C6 glioma cell line. After 24 h of PRL (5‐100 n M ) stimulation, a concentration‐dependent increase of NO release, evaluated as nitrite, was observed in C6 culture medium. Moreover, both NO release and iNOS expression induced by interferon‐γ (250 U/ml) were enhanced by PRL (18‐100 n M ). PRL‐induced NO release was inhibited by dexamethasone, an inhibitor of de novo iNOS synthesis. We used erbstatin (5 μg/ml), a potent inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinases, to test whether these proteins were required for signaling events evoked by PRL in these cells. This inhibitor was able to inhibit completely the PRL‐induced NO production and iNOS expression. In conclusion, we provide evidence that NO production in glial cells can be regulated not only by cytokines but also by neuroimmunoregulatory hormones such as PRL, which is present in normal brain but may be elevated in several pathological states.