Biomedical subjects

A Majewska

Publications and source records attributed to A Majewska.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1995

Expression of interleukin-11 and its encoding mRNA by glioblastoma cells.

Interleukin-11 (IL-11) is a pleiotropic cytokine with important effects on hematopoietic and other cells. IL-11 was originally described as a product of stromal cell lines and fibroblasts. Using RT-PCR, Northern blotting, and ELISA we demonstrated that the human U373 and U87 glioblastoma cell lines expressed IL-11 and its encoding mRNA when stimulated with IL-1 beta, phorbol ester, and calcium ionophore. The neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y did not express IL-11 mRNA in response to these agents. Cerebral expression of IL-11 by glial cells is important because IL-11 has been shown to have effects on neuronal electrophysiology, has overlapping functions with the neuroactive cytokine interleukin-6, and is part of the gp130-associated neuropoietic family of cytokines.

Astrocytes↗

PubMed1995

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha and basic fibroblast growth factor decrease glial fibrillary acidic protein and its encoding mRNA in astrocyte cultures and glioblastoma cells.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha is a pluripotent cytokine that is reportedly mitogenic to astrocytes. We examined expression of the astrocyte intermediate filament component glial fibrillary acidic protein in astrocyte cultures and the U373 glioblastoma cell line after treatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Treatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha for 72 h resulted in a decrease in content of glial fibrillary acidic protein and its encoding mRNA. At the same time, tumor necrosis factor-alpha treatment increased the expression of the cytokine interleukin-6 by astrocytes. The decrease in glial fibrillary acidic protein expression was greater when cells were subconfluent than when they were confluent. Thymidine uptake studies demonstrated that U373 cells proliferated in response to tumor necrosis factor-alpha, but primary neonatal astrocytes did not. However, in both U373 cells and primary astrocytes tumor necrosis factor-alpha induced an increase in total cellular protein content. Treatment of astrocytes and U373 cells for 72 h with the mitogenic cytokine basic fibroblast growth factor also induced a decrease in glial fibrillary acidic protein content and an increase in total protein level, demonstrating that this effect is not specific for tumor necrosis factor-alpha. The decrease in content of glial fibrillary acidic protein detected after tumor necrosis factor-alpha treatment is most likely due to dilution by other proteins that are synthesized rapidly in response to cytokine stimulation.

Animals↗

PubMed1986