Role of protein synthesis in interleukin 1 alpha-induced prostaglandin production in ovine astroglia.

ABSTRACT

Experiments were done to determine whether interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) induces prostaglandin (PG) synthesis in cultured astroglia and to examine the role of enhanced cyclooxygenase 2 (COX 2) synthesis in these responses. Immunologically identified fetal ovine astrocytes were exposed to IL-1 alpha or to media alone. Application of 10 ng/ml IL-1 alpha increased the production of PGF2 alpha for 2-24 h. Coincubation of IL-1 alpha with actinomycin D (1 microgram/ml) or cycloheximide (10 micrograms/ml) completely blocked the increase in PGF2 alpha. Immunoblot analyses revealed that the synthesis of COX2 was not increased by IL-1 alpha at 4 h. However, with incubation of IL-1 alpha for 8-12 h, COX2 levels were increased. These results indicate that longer periods than 4 h are necessary to increase COX2 protein, suggesting that proteins other than COX2 are involved in early IL-1 alpha-induced PG synthesis.