Science exchange logo white
  • Solutions
      Buyers

      We are making R&D services readily available to every organization that seeks to make scientific impact. Learn More

      Providers

      We are changing the way providers access and engage customers to streamline the sale and delivery of R&D services. Learn More

      Industries Agriscience Animal Health Basic Research Biopharmaceutical Chemicals Consumer Health Food Science Medical Devices
      Reproducibility

      We believe that good experiments can and should be independently replicated and validated. Learn More

  • Resources
    Innovation Blog
    Customer Stories
    Events
    Industry Trends
    News
    Product Updates
    Help Center
  • About
    About
    Our Story
    Leadership
    Partners
    Join the Team
  • Contact
  • Log In Sign Up
  • Get a Demo
  • Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) plus soluble CNTF receptor alpha increases cyclooxygenase-2 expression, PGE2 release and interferon-gamma-induced CD40 in murine microglia.

    J Neuroinflammation. 6:7. doi: 10.1186/1742-2094-6-7. March 6, 2009. View on PubMed.
  • Authors

    Lin HW, Jain MR, Li H, and Levison SW
  • Abstract

    BACKGROUNDCiliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) has been regarded as a potent trophic factor for motor neurons. However, recent studies have shown that CNTF exerts effects on glial cells as well as neurons. For instance, CNTF stimulates astrocytes to secrete FGF-2 and rat microglia to secrete glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), which suggest that CNTF exerts effects on astrocytes and microglia to promote motor neuron survival indirectly. As CNTF is structurally related to IL-6, which can stimulate immune functions of microglia, we hypothesized that CNTF might exert similar effects.METHODSWe performed 2-D and 1-D proteomic experiments with western blotting and flow cytometry to examine effects of CNTF on primary microglia derived from neonatal mouse brains.RESULTSWe show that murine microglia express CNTF receptor alpha (CNTFRalpha), which can be induced by interferon-gamma (IFNgamma). Whereas IL-6 activated STAT-3 and ERK phosphorylation, CNTF did not activate these pathways, nor did CNTF increase p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation. Using 2-D western blot analysis, we demonstrate that CNTF induced the dephosphorylation of a set of proteins and phosphorylation of a different set. Two proteins that were phosphorylated upon CNTF treatment were the LYN substrate-1 and beta-tubulin 5. CNTF weakly stimulated microglia, whereas a stronger response was obtained by adding exogenous soluble CNTFRalpha (sCNTFRalpha) as has been observed for IL-6. When used in combination, CNTF and sCNTFRalpha collaborated with IFNgamma to increase microglial surface expression of CD40 and this effect was quite pronounced when the microglia were differentiated towards dendritic-like cells. CNTF/sCNTFRalpha complex, however, failed to increase MHC class II expression beyond that induced by IFNgamma. The combination of CNTF and sCNTFRalpha, but not CNTF alone, enhanced microglial Cox-2 protein expression and PGE2 secretion (although CNTF was 30 times less potent than LPS). Surprisingly, Cox-2 production was enhanced 2-fold, rather than being inhibited, upon addition of a gp130 blocking antibody.CONCLUSIONOur studies indicate that CNTF can activate microglia and dendritic-like microglia similar to IL-6; however, unlike IL-6, CNTF does not stimulate the expected signaling pathways in microglia, nor does it appear to require gp130.

Science exchange logo white

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Solutions

  • Buyers
  • Providers
  • Reproducibility

Industries

  • Agriscience
  • Animal Health
  • Basic Research
  • Biopharmaceutical
  • Chemicals
  • Consumer Health
  • Food Science
  • Medical Devices

Resources

  • Innovation Blog
  • Customer Stories
  • Events
  • Industry Trends
  • News
  • Product Updates

About

  • Our Story
  • Leadership
  • Partners
  • Join the Team

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Help Center
  • Trust
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2021 Science Exchange, Inc. All rights reserved.