HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sugama, S. Articles by Conti, B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sugama, S. Articles by Conti, B.

Tissue-Specific Expression of Rat IL-18 Gene and Response to Adrenocorticotropic Hormone Treatment¹

Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University at the Burke Medical Research Institute, White Plains, NY 10605

IL-18 is a pleiotropic cytokine also proposed to have a role in modulating immune function during stress. Initially found in immune cells, IL-18 mRNA is detectable in several tissues including the cells of the zona reticularis and the zona fasciculata of the adrenal cortex, where its levels are elevated by acute stress or adrenocorticotropic hormone treatment. In the present study, we compared the expression of IL-18 in the adrenal cortex with that of spleen and duodenum, two other IL-18-positive tissues. In situ hybridization showed that, in contrast to the adrenal cortex, in spleen and duodenum IL-18 is primarily localized to immune cells. In duodenum, IL-18 mRNA was also detectable in epithelial cells. Northern blot demonstrated that while the adrenal gland synthesized IL-18 mRNA of 1.1 kb, spleen and duodenum produced a 0.9-kb transcript. RT-PCR, sequencing, Western blot, primer extension, and rapid amplification of cDNA end analysis demonstrated that the three tissues synthesize IL-18 mRNAs containing the same coding region and produce the same IL-18 peptide, but differ in the length of their 5'-untranslated region, indicating tissue-specific usage of the promoter region. Finally, in contrast to the adrenal gland, adrenocorticotropic hormone treatment did not increase the levels of IL-18 mRNA in spleen and duodenum. These results demonstrate tissue-specific expression and promoter usage of IL-18 gene and suggest that the adrenal cortex and not immune cells may be the source of IL-18 during stress.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. J. Raggatt, L. Qin, J. Tamasi, S. C. Jefcoat Jr., E. Shimizu, N. Selvamurugan, F. Y. Liew, L. Bevelock, J. H. M. Feyen, and N. C. Partridge Interleukin-18 Is Regulated by Parathyroid Hormone and Is Required for Its Bone Anabolic Actions J. Biol. Chem., March 14, 2008; 283(11): 6790 - 6798. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. P. Zorrilla, M. Sanchez-Alavez, S. Sugama, M. Brennan, R. Fernandez, T. Bartfai, and B. Conti Interleukin-18 controls energy homeostasis by suppressing appetite and feed efficiency PNAS, June 26, 2007; 104(26): 11097 - 11102. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]