Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P05231 (interleukin-6)
 23,907 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Metallothionein (MT) synthesis induced by the inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), was studied in vivo. Administration of recombinant human IL-6 or TNF to rats caused the acute phase responses including rapid decreases in plasma zinc (Zn), and increases in plasma copper (Cu) and ceruloplasmin. Hepatic concentration of MT-I, one of MT isoforms, began to increase within 3 h after the injection of IL-6 or TNF. In IL-6-treated rats, MT-I concentration in liver reached a maximum level at 12 h and decreased with a transient rebound, whereas, in TNF-treated rats, a high level of MT-I lasted for about 48 h. MT-II, the other MT isoform, was induced more than MT-I in liver by both cytokines. MT-I was also induced in lung and heart by TNF, but little by IL-6. The data suggest that IL-6 may be responsible for MT synthesis in liver, whereas TNF may be responsible not only in liver but also in lung and heart. Furthermore plasma concentration of MT did not always reflect the enhanced concentration of MT by TNF and IL-6 in liver, suggesting involvement of many factors influencing plasma MT levels. The interrelation between IL-6 and TNF for MT synthesis has also been discussed.
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PMID:Differential induction of metallothionein synthesis by interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in rat tissues. 818 7

Metallothioneins (MTs) are a family of proteins which in mammals is comprised of four isoforms (MT-I-IV). MT-I and MT-II are expressed in many tissues, whereas MT-III is expressed exclusively in the central nervous system (CNS). In contrast to the liver, the knowledge of the regulation of the different MT isoforms in the brain is scarce. A number of cytokines have been shown to be important regulators of MT synthesis in vivo and in vitro. In accordance with this concept, the i.p. administration of endotoxin, which elicits the release of cytokines not only in peripheral tissues but also in the brain, caused an overall increase of MT-I + II levels in the rat brain which was very significant in medulla + pons and cerebellum. Among the putative cytokines involved in endotoxin-elicited brain MT-I+II induction, interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are likely candidates. These cytokines have a variety of effects in the brain, and they are major regulators of MT-I+II synthesis in tissues such as the liver. Here we show the administration of IL-1 and IL-6 into the third ventricle increased MT-I+II protein levels in specific brain areas in the rat. IL-1 tended to increase MT-I+II levels in all brain areas studied, but significantly in the striatum, hypothalamus, medulla + pons and cerebellum. The effect of IL-6 was more restricted, but a significant increase of MT-I+II levels was still observed in frontal cortex, hypothalamus and cerebellum. The results suggest that IL-1 and IL-6 are important regulators of brain MT-I+II and that these cytokines could mediate MT-I+II induction after an immunological insult.
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PMID:Endotoxin and intracerebroventricular injection of IL-1 and IL-6 induce rat brain metallothionein-I and -II. 959 61

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is an animal model for the human autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS). Proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) are considered important for induction and pathogenesis of EAE/MS disease, which is characterized by significant inflammation and neuroglial damage. We have recently shown that the exogenous administration of the antioxidant protein zinc-metallothionein-II (Zn-MT-II) significantly decreased the clinical symptoms, mortality, and leukocyte infiltration of the CNS during EAE. However, it is not known how EAE progression is regulated nor how cytokine production and cell death can be reduced. We herewith demonstrate that treatment with Zn-MT-II significantly decreased the CNS expression of IL-6 and TNF-alpha during EAE. Zn-MT-II treatment could also significantly reduce apoptotic cell death of neurons and oligodendrocytes during EAE, as judged by using TUNEL and immunoreactivity for cytochrome c and caspases 1 and 3. In contrast, the number of apoptotic lymphocytes and macrophages was less affected by Zn-MT-II treatment. The Zn-MT-II-induced decrease in proinflammatory cytokines and apoptosis during EAE could contribute to the reported diminution of clinical symptoms and mortality in EAE-immunized rats receiving Zn-MT-II treatment. Our results demonstrate that MT-II reduces the CNS expression of proinflammatory cytokines and the number of apoptotic neurons during EAE in vivo and that MT-II might be a potentially useful factor for treatment of EAE/MS.
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PMID:Metallothionein treatment reduces proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-alpha and apoptotic cell death during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). 1142 79

Metallothionein I (MT-I) and MT-II have been implicated in the protection of cells against reactive oxygen species (ROS), heavy metals, and a variety of pathological and environmental stressors. Here, we show a robust increase in MT-I/MT-II mRNA level and MT proteins in the livers and lungs of C57BL/6 mice exposed to the influenza A/PR8 virus that infects the upper respiratory tract and lungs. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) had a pronounced effect on the induction of these genes in the liver but not the lung. Treatment of the animals with RU-486, a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, inhibited induction of MT-I/MT-II in both liver and lung, revealing a direct role of glucocorticoid that is increased upon infection in this induction process. In vivo genomic footprinting (IVGF) analysis demonstrated involvement of almost all metal response elements, major late transcription factor/antioxidant response element (MLTF/ARE), the STAT3 binding site on the MT-I upstream promoter, and the glucocorticoid responsive element (GRE1), located upstream of the MT-II gene, in the induction process in the liver and lung. In the lung, inducible footprinting was also identified at a unique gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) response element (gamma-IRE) and at Sp1 sites. The mobility shift analysis showed activation of STAT3 and the glucocorticoid receptor in the liver and lung nuclear extracts, which was consistent with the IVGF data. Analysis of the newly synthesized mRNA for cytokines in the infected lung by real-time PCR showed a robust increase in the levels of IL-10 and IFN-gamma mRNA that can activate STAT3 and STAT1, respectively. A STAT1-containing complex that binds to the gamma-IRE in vitro was activated in the infected lung. No major change in MLTF/ARE DNA binding activity in the liver and lung occurred after infection. These results have demonstrated that MT-I and MT-II can be induced robustly in the liver and lung following experimental influenza virus infection by overlapping but distinct molecular mechanisms.
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PMID:Influenza virus infection induces metallothionein gene expression in the mouse liver and lung by overlapping but distinct molecular mechanisms. 1171 67