Premium
Interleukin‐1β expression in the pineal gland of the rat
Author(s) -
Tsai S. Y.,
McNulty J. A.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of pineal research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.881
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1600-079X
pISSN - 0742-3098
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-079x.1999.tb00595.x
Subject(s) - pineal gland , biology , microglia , cytokine , endocrinology , medicine , pinealocyte , melatonin , in vivo , astrocyte , neuroglia , interleukin , interleukin 6 , cell type , in vitro , microbiology and biotechnology , cell , immunology , central nervous system , inflammation , biochemistry
Increasing evidence of the neuroimmunomodulatory role of the pineal gland prompted the present study of pineal gland expression of the immunoregulatory cytokine, interleukin (IL)‐1β. IL‐1β was constitutively expressed in the adult gland, with mRNA levels higher in glands collected during the photophase than in those collected during the scotophase of the light:dark cycle. IL‐1β was up‐regulated in pineal cultures, after treatment with either norepinephrine (NE) or interferon (IFN)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Although both astrocytes and microglia expressed IL‐1β, important differences were found in the cellular expression of this cytokine under in vivo and in vitro conditions. Increased IL‐1β expression by NE ex vivo and the decline in IL‐I expression at night, when NE levels are elevated, can be explained by immunocytochemical data showing that astrocytes are the predominant cell type expressing this cytokine in vivo, whereas IL‐1β‐positive cells are predominantly microglia in pineal explants and dispersed cell cultures. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that cytokines secreted by pineal glia (astrocytes and microglia) may have an important regulatory role in the pineal gland.